FXB Foundation - The FXB Mill and its communal oven in Hérémence (Valais, Switzerland)

A HERITAGE OF SHARING AND REMEMBRANCE

The aim of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Mill and the Hérémence communal oven is to preserve the heritage of François-Xavier's home canton through the theme of bread, the ultimate symbol of sharing.

Hérémence, a village clinging to the side of the Dixence valley at an altitude of 1230 meters, combines traditional authenticity with the modernity of its latest buildings. The history of Valais mountain communities bears witness to the struggle for water, the source of life and energy. Like the bisses and dams, the history of the mills is a perfect illustration.

The memory of a people, the François-Xavier Bagnoud Mill reminds us of a time when the inhabitants of this canton lived self-sufficiently, with no resources other than those painstakingly extracted from the land.

"Doesn't a mill powered by water from our mountains remind us of our staple food, without which we couldn't live and which we all love? May this mill and this ordinary oven remind us that each of us has the right to his or her daily bread, and that if mankind finally became reasonable, it should be possible to distribute and share it throughout the world". Extract from the inauguration speech by Bruno Bagnoud, FXB co-president, in September 1997.

For more information: https: //www.heremence.ch/commune/moulin-four-banal-431.html