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Contents of the page : the "locals" - living conditions - activities - birth of an identity ?
Population :
The drift from the land that took place in between the two world wars was
compensated by the arrival of immigrants, mainly Italians, who took over the
vacant land with tenant farming contracts or metayage systems. The exodus
started again in the 50’s, following the radical transformation due to the
mechanization of agriculture, and the country was depopulated.
The integration of these “foreigners” is difficult
; there is no antagonism with the locals, but rather an inability to adjust to
the “peasant” way of life.
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…”The Lot-et-Garonne people do not have excessive features, which doesn’t
mean they lack character. They are jovial without being Rabelaisian, men of
measure without quite being phlegmatic, they like to talk without giving into
tall stories. They have a very rich past but they don’t show too marked a
taste for their heritage. They are proud of being what they are, but without
chauvinism.
Pierre
Sansot – Confluent – dec 96
Markets :
monday
: Duras et Miramont tuesday :
Castillonnès wednesday
:
Lauzun thursday : Eymet et Monpazier
friday
: Monségur saturday
:
Villeréal sunday
: Issigeac
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Living conditions :
Rural housing is scattered : home and farm buildings (generally separate) are
established within the estate. Originally, these estates were of modes size (a
few dozens of hectares). As a consequence, the countryside is covered in very
many farms and under-populated towns (often reduced to a few dwellings).
The “bastides”, in their centre, have preserved their Middle Ages
structure.
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Activities :
The region has always had a strong agricultural inclination.
In the past, on these small estates,
multi-culture was the rule and each farm practically lived in autarky : wine,
salt meat, poultry, vegetables, fruit, milk, food for the animals, everything
was produced on the spot ; bread was bartered for wheat in grains.
It was a “peasant society” : family
cell attached to the farm, autarky, closed world of the farm, solidarity (in
particular for collective work such as transplantation and grape picking). Peasantry
was considered as a state of being.
Here
as elsewhere, agriculture is now recognized as a profession, but is
considered as a compelling necessity and the “peasant spirit” is kept up
more than anywhere else.
The
industry, not very important, is related to the rural economy (for example, the
Eymet canning industry). One exception, Miramont : in 1848, Isidore Soussial
creates in Miramont the “
"basane"”
slipper. From this a very important shoe industry was developed. It has had some
difficulties recently, as everywhere in France, . Since, the industrial activity
has been trying to diversify (example : the Carretier-Robin firm, which makes
building locks).
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Birth
of an identity ?
A geographical unity (river basin) and a common history (cities of similar
constitution) seem to favour an identity awareness. There are real obstacles :
administration scattered over three counties, and also the fact that the Dropt
is too ordinary a river to have a federative power. Caudrot looks toward the
Bordelais, Capdrot toward the Périgord and the Quercy, all centrifugal centres
of attraction.