Porches

If our village has one distinguishing feature, it is surely its porches.
It is difficult not to notice these door ornaments while strolling through the charming narrow streets. If our village has one distinguishing feature, it is surely its porches.
It is difficult not to notice these door ornaments while strolling through the charming narrow streets.
The porches are all sculpted from two types of rock, which are easy to recognise with this description:
– Serpentine is a mineral rock which is dark green in colour (due to copper oxidation) with white and yellowish veins running through it. Its glossy patina and very fine grain are reminiscent of snakeskin. It is essentially used as an ornamental stone.
– Porous basalt is a grey lava stone, of which the village’s geological substratum is composed. It was produced by a volcanic flow more than 5 million years ago. The holes are bubbles of oxygen held in the lava.
It is interesting to note that in this rurally focussed village, with its modest houses, it is surprising to find so many porches and such a variety of architectural styles (Classical, Gothic, Romanesque).