Urban Exploration - Robert's House

We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.

Dark, ultra-dark, ultra-ultra-dark. If I had to describe this place in a single word, that would be it. So gloomy that it becomes memorable... This house was pointed out to me by Raïou, whom I warmly thank.

This dwelling is located in a small, isolated village. People likely come here for tourism, but not exactly here—not to this remote hamlet. To come here is to come for Robert, and to suddenly bring his memory into the light.

But what light, when the house is so black?

It was probably a fire that blackened everything. Yet, there is no trace of burnt paper or anything consumed. On top of that, you have a house with radically Spartan conditions. No need to look for a bathroom. It’s very, very, very old-fashioned; Robert washed with a bucket. Was it any worse for it? Certainly not. But one thing is for sure: on certain winter days, especially here on these cold plateaus, it must have been hard.

The finishing touch? Add ten years of wild abandonment. Cobwebs everywhere, forming blackened draperies, all in total disarray and covered by thick, successive layers of mold.

Can we say it’s dirty? No, certainly not. On the other hand, one finds oneself stubbornly determined not to touch a single thing.

The property, held in joint ownership, is in such a state of decay that the town hall has issued a formal condemnation order (arrêté).

Of Robert—ultra-solitary—we know nothing. At most, we can only guess. Based on a few photos, we understand he was a shepherd—what we would call a pastre in our local Cevenol dialect. The wheelchair still present suggests that his final days must have been genuinely difficult.

He was born in this small town and passed away in September 2015 in Pradelles, more than likely in a nursing home.

His grave is located in the town’s small cemetery. He is alone. A plaque informs us that he was a veteran. How many fates like this are there, in immense isolation and absolute desolation? How many boarded-up houses are in this same state of degradation? How many fates, like Robert’s, of which virtually no memory remains?