In Anjou, attractions are not confined
to sites and monuments visible on either side of the Loire. Tufaceous limestone
(tufa) that went into building so many of these historical monuments came from
under Anjou soil. The ground that produced the blond stone gave way to an
extensive network of underground galleries that were a world apart from life on
the surface. This was home to cave-dwellers or troglodytes.
The largest network of underground caves in Europe lies between Saumur and
Doué-la-Fontaine - the so-called "trogolos d'Anjou". These underground
galleries were created when the tufa and another soft rock (falun) were
extracted over the centuries and used as building material. The finest, tufa
was used for châteaux, churches and minor stately homes. Poorer families then
took up residence inside the caves and, during the Middle Ages, it was
estimated that a quarter of the local population actually lived underground.
Today the caves are as attractive as ever and play a large part in people's
lives. Cool caves are used to store sparkling wines, grow mushrooms, house art
galleries, a zoo, and even restaurants serving local delicacies (fouaces -
little flat cakes), provide accommodation and night clubs. It is interesting to
see that local people have turned a shelter of necessity into a rich and varied
way of life.
Troglo "L'Hélice Terrestre"
Hillside caves
At the beginning of the twentieth
century, the hillside caves carved out of the steep cliffs above the Loire
became the ideal spot for the cultivation of whitecap mushrooms and production
flourished. The whitecap now account for two-thirds of French production. The
caves were also seen as a perfect place to store sparkling Saumur wines.
In a different setting, there are some fine examples of cave-dwellings in open
country in the area between Rochemenier, La Fosse, le Coudray-Macouard,
Coutures and Doué-la-Fontaine where a large underground farmyard is used by
several houses carved out of the stone.
Over the past twenty years interest in cave dwelling has been on
the increase as people want a different, perhaps more exotic way of life or
because they want to carry on a tradition. As a result, more people are setting
up home in the caves, sometimes for the summer, sometimes all-year round. In
fact living underground has become a way of life for some and you will find
plenty of colourful characters ready to tell you all about it.
