Bardou

The oldest still standing houses were probably built at the end of the 15th century. The oldest known records of the village come from a census from 1785, 79 people in fourteen households lived in the village. In the following century, the number of residents changed only slightly. Then came the First World War which changed the population structure permanently. The men were at the front, the women could not maintain the farms in the mountains on their own and after 1918 those returning from the war found very poor living conditions, the village was marked by hunger and epidemics. Young people in particular left Bardou to look for a new livelihood in cities or at least in larger villages. When the dirt road was built out of the Les Pradals valley in 1924, most of the residents moved away. In 1925 there were only six households left in Bardou. In 1967 there was only one man still living in Bardou, Achille Bonnét. Then new life as in 1967 a German Klaus Erhardt and an American Jeane Rauch acquired the majority of the almost completely dilapidated hamlet and revitalised the place anew as a place of classical music. Since then The Sinfonietta (orchestra), Camerata and Chamber Orchestra have become world famous as they are collections of top young musicians who congregate in the village every year from all over the world to rehearse and play their music together in the sunshine and the spectacular scenery. Their group performances take place at the end of the season in the nearby churches, monasteries, and castles and are usually free to attend. Don’t underestimate the quality of these young musicians they are often the most promising upcoming musicians from around the world. Some are already world famous soloists.

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