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It would inevitably be the "lauze", a very heavy local stone of crystalline schist, which characterises the traditional roofing in the Haute Maurienne. These “lauze” roofs, in their grey monochromatic magnificence, seem to cling to the high mountain pasture slopes.
The “lauzes” were dug up from the “lauzières” (local quarries) or found in fallen mountain rubble or scree. They were then transported to the houses and hoisted up to the rooftops by virtue of sheer human strength. They were positioned to cover the solid frameworks made of spruce or larch tree trunks - the only wood capable of accommodating the accumulated weight of the “lauze” stones and the snow. But the Maurienne is also a region that revolves around slate, marble, etc.
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