The rural buildings (farms, barns, houses) as well as wells, laundries, dovecotes, baker's ovens, cross of road form a precious and irreplaceable patrimony.

The landscape bocager of the Country of Charlieu will allow you, in this respect, happy discoveries.

Among all the buildings, the magnificent "Grands Couverts" characterize the region : of square shape, they distinguish themselves by their big roof in four pieces, among which a very short in front, and by their wooden strong structure filled(performed) with different materials (flint, pisé...).

They are buildings multi-functions(multi-offices), grouping together(including), originally , under the same roof, the spaces devolved to the men(people), to the animals and to the stocking, and dating, for the greater part the XVIII-th or the beginning of the XIX-th.

Saint-Hilaire-sous-Charlieu's "Grands Couverts", in the locality "les Perches Sud", invites you to an original visit. You will follow there "Merle" old peddler who will evoke you, in dialect, the Country of Charlieu of its youth : people, professions, seasons. he will tell you also the legends and the histories which exchanged in the evening. The image, the sound and the light compose so a pleasant reconstruction of past.

Situated on a hill, crossed(gone through) by roads of drive(ride), this site also offers a magnificent point of view on the roannaise plain and the Mountains of Madeleine. A holiday cottage in the country of eight persons occupies the shoulder of the Big Place setting.

The Office of Tourism of the Country of Charlieu organizes conducted tours of discovery of the rural architecture all year long. Booking for the groups, in season for individual with the Office of Tourism. For any information or demand of documentation, please, do not hesitate to contact them.

Text and photo : advertising Plaque "Architecture countryman of the Country of Charlieu" Office of Tourism