Bancels or faïsses (terraced gardens and fields) were gradually abandoned with the decline of the rural population. They are nonetheless dear to the Cévenols and constitute for them – as for visitors – a cultural value that has shaped local identity. Practising a high-quality, high-value-added agriculture seems to be the best way of ensuring their survival.
These spaces cannot be revitalised without a parallel revival of dry-stoning knowledge. In 1997, the Cévennes National Park organised workshops on “redeveloping the terraced gardens and fields of the Cévennes”. These workshops resulted in a series of practical actions to develop terraced sites and a revival of traditional dry-stoning skills. Among the latter was the creation of the professional body Les artisans bâtisseurs en pierre sèche (ABPS), various consciousness-raising and training campaigns, etc.
In the spring of 2009, further meetings on the subject of dry-stoning and bancels took place in Le Vigan. Their objective: to take stock of the work done so far, and reflect on the various ways of reclaiming ever more bancels and developing the market for dry-stoning.