Their names are Maria Garrouste, Pierre Simon, Guy Gérard and Mesmin Béragnes. Ten years ago, the quartet created the Pays histoire et patrimoines (PHP) association on the Fumélois side, linked by a passion for their territory rich in the material: “At the start, we mainly wanted to save Éditions Fragile which published books linked to local heritage, explains Pierre Simon, still president of PHP. We created the association to buy back their stock intended for the pestle. »
In 2014, 20,000 books were saved and stored in a premises of the Tellus Ceram company, the Monsempron-Libos brickworks of which Mesmin Béragnes is the boss. The association was then created to sell the works and publish new ones to continue the activity of Éditions Fragile. “We opened our first premises in 2017, at the brickworks,” recalls Pierre Simon. This is still where our head office is located today. »
Towards the visits
The first book published under the aegis of PHP was “A Peasant at the National Assembly” by Marcel Garrouste, a bestseller: “He is still the pillar of our publications,” underlines Pierre Simon. Then, around ten other works will follow, printed on average at 600 copies.
Very quickly, the members of the association saw that the sale of books alone was not enough to continue and began to set up activities and visits to sell them to participants: “We therefore decided to organize four concerts per year, two conferences and visits to heritage sites throughout the year. »
-In 2019, while the Covid interrupted all activity, the office took advantage of this break time to look into the industrial heritage of Fumélois, unfairly neglected: “In 2021, we organized the first day dedicated to the industrial history of the territory . She was successful,” says Maria Garrouste. Since then, the PHP has campaigned with elected officials for the creation of a memorial space on the site of the former Fumel metallurgy factory. In the meantime, she saved the machines of the Saint-Vite mill, which has now disappeared, from destruction. “What we especially want is to talk about living heritage,” underlines Pierre Simon.
A birthday celebrated at the castle
Country of history and heritage has decided to mark the occasion by inviting itself to Château Sainte-Foy, located between Tournon and Dausse, for a day. The date has been set for Saturday February 1, from 4 p.m. The afternoon will start with a sale of second-hand books, brought by everyone, for the benefit of the association. Then, at 5 p.m., the PHP will present its program for the year 2025 while recalling its genesis. At 6 p.m., the jazz and variety group Milla's band will play for half an hour before a reading by authors published by PHP.
Finally, at 7 p.m., a typically Gascon buffet will be set up, all with a musical background, with a concert, this time lasting one hour, by Milla's band.
