A Lévignacq, circuit du Moulin Neuf

For centuries, many pilgrims have deviated from their route to come and admire the church of Lévignacq and its bell tower. Built in the 14th century, this listed building is distinguished by a magnificent painted oak ceiling. Large paintings such as the Marriage of the Virgin and the Agony of Christ adorn the walls of the church. The highlight of the show is the clear pictorial distinction between the main body of the church and the choir vault. Hidden for centuries under the plaster, these scenes from the Old Testament are silent witnesses to the passage of time and the generations that have passed through it.

Familiar buildings in the French countryside, mills are also part of the Gascon identity. In the 19th century, in the vicinity of Lévignacq, there were three. That of Uza called moulin de la Fonderie in reference to the famous forges of Uza, that of Moulin Neuf, also called moulin de Bernichau(t), and Moulin-Vieux. All three were flour mills, but sometimes experiments, both successful and unsuccessful, were carried out there to operate saws. In 1877, Moulin-Vieux was doubled in size to power such equipment for woodworking. Today, Moulin-Vieux has been replaced by a fish farm.

Gemmage is a traditional activity which consists of wounding the pine to extract the resin. This complex, fragrant material is distinct from the sap (the "blood" of the tree) but is a healing agent and a repellent for insects. In the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century, each village had dozens of gemmakers. The distillation of the resin gave turpentine and rosin, two substances used to make varnishes, paints, medicines and household products. Global competition put an end to this traditional activity in the 1980s.

Also known as DFCI (Forest Fire Defence) paths, these access routes criss-cross the immense forest massif of the Landes, allowing fire fighters easier access to burnt areas. Although the great fires of 1947 and 1949 are still remembered, we must not forget the fires that occurred between 1730 and 1755. At that time, the population was even more vulnerable to these monstrous blasts, and when the walls of fire were too high, the solution was often to take refuge in a nearby village and pray for rain...