📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Come discover « La Mère-Eglise», one of the most ancient chapels of the Hautes-Alpes ! Each summer, the stones under the arches vibrate with the songs of musicians that have come far and wide for the Festival of Music in Dévoluy. Built in the Romanesque style, the church is situated on the commune of Saint Disdier in the massif of Dévoluy (Hautes-Alpes). Classified as a historic monument in 1927, Mère-Eglise was constructed by Clusien monks . Its stone bell tower and its thatched roof is what gives the church its characteristic charm, and inside one can find magnificent frescos. Since 2017, international workcamps have gathered at this idyllic site in order to continue the upgrade and protection of the walls below the church.
💼 What the programme involves
Do you want to learn ancient masonry techniques ? How to use ancient and ecological materials ? This year, we’ll continue the work on the stone walls close to the church. These walls were without a doubt were used as a weapons room, and our aim will be conserving and protecting them. All this will be accomplished with the help of a technical supervisor who’ll be there to share their knowledge. Warning, you’ll be toning up your arms ! You’ll spend arpund 30h per week working. Evenings and weekends are free for the activities that you’ll choose to organise together.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Under tents on the « Les Auches » campground in Saint Etienne in Dévoluy, situated in the heart of the Dévoluy massif. On the campsite, you’ll have a peaceful stay in a mountainous setting with exceptional greenery. You’ll have accès to ammenities like sanitary facilities, a barbecue, a bocce ball court, and WIFI at times. We will install a large kitchen tent in order to make our meals. You’ll take turns cooking, that way we’ll be able to taste a number of different specialties ! Here, we pay attention to what we eat, and to reduce our impact on the planet, we try to eat a maximum of local products and we limit eating meat to twice a week. Community life will be organised together : organization of menus, grocery shopping, activites, etc.
📍 About the location
Location : The workcamp will take place on the surrounding hills of the small village St. Disdier in Dévoluy, around 15 minutes away from the campsite which is in the village St Etienne in Dévoluy with its small nieghborhood shops. The main city, Veynes, is about 30km away. Grocery shopping, which will be conducted once or twice a week, will be organised using our vehicles.
Leisure activities : You will be in an exceptional location to discover the joys of hiking among the mountains, its rivers, its lakes, the farmers markets, and festive events organized in the surround villages (depending on programming). As a group, you’ll decide the activites and outings that you’ll want to set up (subject to distance).