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6 - The PRESLOTS Crypt

6 - The PRESLOTS Crypt

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Hidden under our feet is the ‘Crypte des Preslots’, mistakenly named as it was not actually a religious site. Nor was it part of the castle whose outer wall reached only as far as the current town hall. In reality, it was probably a grain store. The ‘crypt’, which appears to date from the 12th century, is close to the west rampart and to a tower still overlooking the nearby town square steps. It has a regular quadrangular design and each room or nave consists of four spans of which three can still be seen today. In the past there was a fourth span corresponding to the unsheltered area reaching as far as the steps to the carpark behind the multimedia library, which gives an idea of its scale. In 1988-1989 pupils from the local high school had the opportunity to experience a live history lesson. Maths teacher and heritage buff, Daniel Badoinot, turned works foreman, launching the restoration of the site. With three other teachers and around a hundred high school pupils, they dug out 40m3 of rubble to reveal the floor of the ‘crypt’ with a surface area of approximately 70m2. Roger Petitpierre, one of the teachers, sketched their findings (see enlargement opposite).