Stone Mailbox in Entrance to Hammeau

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This is a charming entrance to a hammeau, with a stone mailbox made into the field stone wall.  Charming.

A Wonderful Rustic Hammeau House

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A hammeau is a collection of buildings that is usually around a farm, but too small to be a village or have a church.  Typically the adult children of the farmer and the wives and children would live in the hammeau, with the farmer owning the largest house.

This hammeau was walled and one can see the arch to the courtyard gates.  The open area was atop the stable which is immediately below it.

This stone building exudes charm and elegance from days gone by.

Les Capelins

A hammeau in Provence is a collection of farm buildings that housed a farmer, his married sons and their families and the hired help.  It was a mini-village of people connected to a surrounding farm. This old hammeau is called Les Capelins, and it is near the village of Bonnieux in Provence.  Note the fieldstone construction of the houses.