Le Grand-Pressigny ~ 3 ~

The name Pressigny evolved phonetically from the Latin Prisciniacus -- the local lord was probably named Priscinius in Latin. The town called Prisciniacus is mentioned in texts left by the 6th-century historian called Grégoire de Tours, 1500 years ago. There is another village nearby called Le Petit-Pressigny (pop. 350).

A nice courtyard in Le Grand-Pressigny

But people have lived here since prehistoric times, dating back more than 5,000 years. Stone tools and other artifacts going back that far have been uncovered by archaeologists. Stone tools that show signs of having been fabricated in Pressigny have been found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland, so there was a good export business way back then.

Wouldn't you like to see what's behind the green door? I would.

All that is well and good, but what was pleasant about Le Grand-Pressigny when we walked around the village was the welcoming feel and beauty of the place. There weren't many people out and about, but that's true in most of the villages around here except on market days or when a tour bus pulls in.

Another green door in Le Grand-Pressigny — somebody's workshop?

According to the town's tourist office website, there are two restaurants in Le Grand-Pressigny and there's one hotel. According to one government site, the village population has declined by 300 (from 1,450 to 1,150) since 1968. That's typical of these local villages, I think, but I think it's also beginning to turn around. People are leaving the cities and moving back to the French countryside.

This entrance is considerably grander. The house is a maison bourgeoise.

In 1968 there were 550 housing units (logements) in Le Grand-Pressigny, and in 1999 there were 650. The number of people per household declined from 3.1 to 2.3 over that period. Households are getting smaller and smaller, and older houses are being abandoned while newer ones are being built.

The British people (and some Americans) who are moving into this area are said to be buying up the big old houses, while local people are having new houses built.

The locals want the comfort of better heating and insulation, and they probably don't have the means to renovate the older properties. They work for a living, so they don't have time to do restoration work. The well-off British and American immigrants are looking for something romantic, historic, and typical of old France. They are living a dream, à la Peter Mayle.

A locked door in Le Grand-Pressigny

In 1968 there were 30 vacation homes in Le Grand-Pressigny, but by 1999 that had increased to 90. And between 1968 and 1999 the number of vacant housing units went from 56 to 73. So there are opportunities for outsiders to scoop up old properties.

Typical houses in Le Grand-Pressigny

In comparison, here in our little hamlet, La Renaudière outside Saint-Aignan, with its nine houses, four houses are used as vacation and weekend places. Three of those are owned by people who come down from Paris just once in a while. The other couple comes to occupy their house much more often because they live in Blois, just 25 miles away.

The average age of the nine people who live full-time in the other five houses in the hamlet is about 67 (I'm guessing at three people's ages but I know all the others). Average occupancy per house is just under two people (nine people in five houses). A hamlet by definition is a settlement that doesn't have a church, and most hamlets, including ours, don't have any shops or other businesses.