The hamlet of Puits

Two farms were inhabited before being burned by German soldiers accompanied by militia on July 24, 1944. The challenges of the altitude, the long and snowy winters, the poor quality of the soil and low harvests meant that peasant life was harsh and heavy-going on these steep slopes. The fields, which were larger at the time than they are today, were home to a handful of crops, and domestic animals were also bred so that the men could be relatively self-sufficient. Two structures are still standing: the oven – used for baking bread – at the northern entrance to the hamlet; and the pond, which was used as a drinking trough for the animals and a washhouse for the peasant women.