Mount Signon walking tour, Chaudeyrolles

Mount Signon was a former volcano with viscous lava.

Its stone, the phonolite easily crumble into flat flagstones, used to cover the roofs.

First operated on behalf of the Lords of Mézenc and then Bonnefoy Carthusian, this career has been handled since the Revolution by Chaudeyrolles inhabitants.

The work of the slates ("lauzes" in French) began from the end of winter until the end of the summer time. It was painful and dangerous work : some very small trucks could bring loads up to 1 ton !

For the roofs were used the flagstone preferably to the tile (more expensive) and that was necessary to bring from Le Puy. Flagstones coverage could last at least 40 years if it was well posed, and could cope with the difficult climate conditions : wind, snow...

The exploitation, which started approximately 300 years ago, stopped in 1940.