The village is divided in two parts :
one down in a narrow valley, Allondrelle;
and one up the hill, open to the winds, a place where snowdrifts are enormous in winter: La Malmaison.
The name means “the bad house”. This part of the village used to have a bad reputation:
wizards and witches were supposed to live there…
When I was a child, some 40 years ago, it was still possible to see here bats nailed on barn doors.
A way of keeping curse out.
The road climbs hard between Allondrelle and La Malmaison.
A short but steep slope.
Up the slope is the graveyard.
And standing apart is a lonely lop-sided grave.
An old one, probably from XVIIth century.
The grave of the witch.
It is said that in former times, when ox or horse carts were climbing the hill, the animals were suddenly stopped when reaching the grave…
It has something special: it has been damaged but still, we can see that it shows a crucified woman... |
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