The stonemasons' tradition

Heir of the cathedral builders, the stonemason, the buildings' architect, is a true artist. Custodian of ancestral know-how and respectful of the ancient tradition, the stone cutter is nonetheless very open-minded to the latest technological developments.

The stonemasonry appears in the Ancient Egypt as well as in the Ancient Greece and in Rome. It was at this time that man has desired to raise imposing buildings designed to last (temples, pyramids, fortifications ...).

Over the centuries, this stone cutting business continues uninterrupted. The natural stone is now used to build other architectural buildings (churches, cathedrals, castles, bridges, etc.), while using the same techniques and tools as their ancestors did.

Unfortunately, the stone building gradually fell into disuse from 1930 : date from which the reinforced concrete (invented in 1900) and the steel began to be massively used in all buildings.

Nowadays, the stonemasons who were "builders" are becoming increasingly rare, even if the techniques of the stone cutting have been passed on from generation to generation until today.

Today, even if the technology has been adapted to the stone cutting, the ancient tools (compass, triangle, plumb bob, sledgehammer, chisel...), the legacy of our ancestors, are still the basic tools of the stonemasons of today. Indeed, certain types of equipment and tools used by today's stonemasons have not changed since 2000 years !