“It’s like a box of sugar, it’s always the first piece that’s the hardest to get out. » Cyprien Constant, director of Constant et Fils, a seventh-generation quarryman in Paussac-et-Saint-Vivien (Dordogne), watches as his workers remove about 9 tons of blocks, putting their feet on the ground 70 million years ago.
A block that will benefit soon…
“It’s like a sugar cane, it’s always the first piece that’s the hardest to get out. » Cyprien Constant, director of Constant et Fils, a seventh-generation quarryman in Paussac-et-Saint-Vivien (Dordogne), watches as his workers remove about 9 tons of blocks, putting their feet on the ground 70 million years ago.
A block that could soon benefit from a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Pierre de Paussac/Paussac-et-Saint-Vivien, like its neighbor Pierre de Mareuil (read below).
“The IGP demonstrates the connection between the terrain and the material. It is designed to assure the customer that the product comes from an area and is made according to the rules of the art”, explains Frédéric Dudilot, Secretary General of the National Union of Quarrying Industry and Construction Materials (Unicem). The files are provided through an association linked to the structure. “There is a lot of identity theft in stones. »
Bulasac school group
“The IGP appreciates our know-how,” says Cyprien Constant. He uses two limestones in his quarry that will soon benefit from this identification mark. They are two fairly similar stone types, “semi-soft stones with a light beige tone, suitable for cut or decorative stones, indoor and outdoor, and frost-resistant,” he explains.
They differ mainly in appearance: the Paussac-et-Saint-Vivien stone, which consists of microscopic shells, has a finer grain, while the Mareuil is a shell stone with some fossilized shells visible, or at least less. small holes.
Blocks stored at the Cyprien Constant quarry, which employs 14 people, await shipment to Bulasac-Isle-Manoire. The city chose Paussac-et-Saint-Vivien stone for the construction of the colossal stone building. An excellent showcase for the Constant company, which IGP can do more often, hopes for those in the sector. “At construction sites in our sector, architects can demand local stone,” hopes the manager.
Files will be available soon
“This allows us to restart the sector,” says Frédéric Dudilot, who judges that the origins of local authorities can be taken into account in calls for tenders.
A trend that will multiply: “We will present the documents for Limeirat stone and Fontbelle stone at the end of August (Editor’s note: in La Rochebeaucourt-et-Argentina),” he announces.
New Aquitaine already has two stones under the IGP, Arudin’s Stone (64) and this from Vianne (47). Breton granite, Burgundy stone, Rhône-Alpes marble and Midi stone also benefit from it.