A Champagne cadole at the entrance to Bar-sur-Seine: “It’s a tribute to our ancestors, to what they built”

It was first conceived over 25 years ago by Jean-Louis Normand, a now-retired winemaker from the La Borderie champagne estate in Bar-sur-Seine (Aube). This cadole, which has recently taken pride of place in the center of the 19-March-1962 roundabout, is a long-standing dream come true for him. "Before phylloxera, there were 24,000 hectares of vines in the entire Barois," he recalls. "After phylloxera , nature reclaimed its rights, and we find these cadoles more or less hidden among the trees." The cadole, this dry-stone hut, is not just an aesthetic object. It is a strong signal: this is where Champagne begins.

Cadoles are traditional dry-stone shelters that were once found scattered throughout the vineyards. They served as daytime refuges for winegrowers. "Their function is to be like a fireplace, to enjoy a fire and keep warm, perhaps to cook something in winter, and, in summer, to be cool and sheltered from the elements," explains Jean-Louis Normand. "To preserve this heritage, we have, for example, the Association of Cadoles of Champagne, which was created in 2023 and whose mission is to restore around forty of them within 10-15 years."

A scientific inventory launched in 2020 by the Mission Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne (Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars Mission ) identified nearly 150 cadoles still visible in the Côte des Bar region, notably in Les Riceys, Gyé-sur-Seine and Courteron (Aube), as well as on the Chemin des Crêtes. These buildings bear witness to rural history, a direct relationship with the land, cycles, and survival. "Building without a binder, simply through the balance of stones, is both an art and a philosophy," explains David Lazzarotti, the craftsman in Les Riceys who created the new cadole.

This is not just a heritage building, but also the result of an intergenerational gesture. Three generations of Lazzarottis – Guy, the father, David, the son, and the grandson, still a student – ​​assembled the 15 tons of stone making up the building. “It was handcrafted by my son, even though I was with him and did him a small favor, as a father,” smiles Guy, restorer of old buildings. “I was a craftsman for 46 years. I know cadoles well, it's in the hands.” David, for his part, claims an approach faithful to tradition: “We built it according to the rules of the art. No binder. Everything is dry stone. Each stone is meticulously wedged… It's a construction game.” He adds: “On this cadole, we placed tens of thousands of wedges.” Everything is designed so that the water runs off, so that the building remains stable. We adapted to the terrain. Each cadole is unique.

Why not move an old one? The answer is clear: heritage can't be moved, it must be respected. "It would be anachronistic, even scandalous, to dismantle a real cadole to exhibit it," says Jean-Louis Normand. Choosing a new construction, respecting traditional methods, allows both to preserve the existing structure and to pass on know-how. And that's the whole point of the Lazzarottis' involvement: "It's a tribute to our ancestors, to what they built dry, without binder, with their hands. It's admirable. We must continue to pass that on," confides David.

For Dominique Baroni, mayor of Bar-sur-Seine, this cadole plays another important role: "It marks the entrance to the Champagne tourist route. And it really speaks to people, much more than a marketing object like a giant bottle. It tells a story. As Bar-sur-Seine is one of the small towns of character, it also represents an action in favor of this label, and it's important to constantly question ourselves so as not to lose it."

The €27,000 project, funded 100% by donations via the CollectiCity platform, has been welcomed by the local population. Even the initial skeptics are won over. "It blends in so well with the surroundings that you get the impression it's always been there," smiles the mayor. This project is much more than a landscaping project. It's a manifesto in stone, a gesture of memory and transmission. "It's our identity. We don't build the future without knowing where we come from," emphasizes David Lazzarotti. The Cadole of Bar-sur-Seine is therefore not just a simple cabin. It's a landmark, a tribute to expertise, and a promise to continue to keep the soul of the Champagne vineyards alive.