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THE "PONT DE RATTON" ICEHOUSE

Located just before the Ratton bridge, coming from Ampus on the way to Chateaudouble, it has been built in the coldest part of Ampus village.

At a time when electric power or fridges did not exist, people were clever; they used the climate and build natural icehouses. These holes stored ice meant to supply Draguignan pubs in summer. 

 

Gaston Martin stated that carts conveyed the ice. New modern technics were introduced, we soon forgot about the icehouse.

 

Only a few people knew that an icehouse could be found and be visited in Ampus. The situation changed when an environmental protection association –APPA together with the municipality and the CAD organization pulled their efforts together to restore the icehouse. It is now open to the public to visit.

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