Typical of peasant communities, these houses housed several families in a single dwelling to cope with the hardships of the times. Property was passed down from generation to generation in joint ownership.
Each inhabitant is called a parsonnier, from the Latin portio. All parsons own a portion of the communal habitat.
These families are often related by blood. This mode of operation was common in the Montagne Bourbonnaise, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, and into the 19th century.
At the head of each community was an elected master and mistress who looked after the common interests and exercised moral authority over the parsonniers. This system gradually came to an end with the advent of the Napoleonic civil code, which did not recognize the communal system.
In some communes of the Montagne Bourbonnaise, however, this system persisted until the 20th century.
The master of the community often gave his name to the locality where the dwelling was built.
The community dwelling took the form of a gallery house. The first floor belonged to the whole community, with a large living room where the parsons cooked, ate and socialized. The upper floor was divided into rooms belonging to each parsonnier, accessible via the gallery.
These families are often related by blood. This mode of operation was common in the Montagne Bourbonnaise, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, and into the 19th century.
At the head of each community was an elected master and mistress who looked after the common interests and exercised moral authority over the parsonniers. This system gradually came to an end with the advent of the Napoleonic civil code, which did not recognize the communal system.
In some communes of the Montagne Bourbonnaise, however, this system persisted until the 20th century.
The master of the community often gave his name to the locality where the dwelling was built.
The community dwelling took the form of a gallery house. The first floor belonged to the whole community, with a large living room where the parsons cooked, ate and socialized. The upper floor was divided into rooms belonging to each parsonnier, accessible via the gallery.
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