Compagnons du Devoir

The Compagnons du Tour de France are a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages, but still active today. Their traditional technical education techniques includes taking a tour, the Tour de France from the name, around France and being the apprentice of several competent masters. Until recently, the compagnons were all male.

A similar tradition exists for German Wandergesellen, or journeymen, to set out on the Wanderjahre.

Tour de France simply refers to the fact that they are taking a tour around France; it is unrelated to the Tour de France cycliste, a cycling competition.

Life as an Aspirant Compagnon

Aspiring compagnons must first complete a two year course, which gives them the Certificat d'Aptitude Professionelle, the basic French trade qualification. They then go on a tour of France, staying in several towns/cities over the next three to five years, working under compagnons, to learn the trade. Today, compagnons can be found in 49 countries across 5 continents. A typical day for a charpentier (roof carpenter/framer) would involve a day on site, followed by technical drawing classes in the evening from about 6 pm until 8 pm. Dinner is eaten together (compagnon is a diminutive of compaing [compare Modern French copain], a person with whom one breaks bread) in the siège (lodge) during which a tie must be worn. After dinner, the aspirants are expected to work on their maquette - a wooden model that they have conceived and created, first through drawings, and then using these drawings as a template, cut and assembled the wood. They will make a few of these throughout their time as itinerants, and each piece is expected to show that they have understood and mastered the most difficult aspects of the trade so far.

Master Compagnons

Ultimately, aspirants present their masterpiece maquette to the board of Compagnons at around the third or fourth year of the aspirant's tour, hoping to be admitted to the Compagnons. Some of these masterpieces are displayed at the Musée – Librairie du Compagnonnage in Paris.

Pont du Gard

The outstanding quality of the masonry of the Pont du Gard led to it becoming an obligatory stop for aspirant masons on their traditional tour, and many have left their names on the stonework.

Compagnionship

On admission, each new Compagnon is given his Compagnon name, which is made up from the region or town that he comes from in France and a personal attribute. For example, somebody from Burgundy who shows determination, might be called 'Bourguignon le Courageux'. They are also presented with a ceremonial walking staff (representing the itinerant nature of the organisation) and also a sash. Compagnons are also given secret words - the secrecy and the Compagnon name comes from the later medieval times, when the strengthening group of Compagnons (Compagnonnage), who were building the churches and chateaux of France was persecuted by the king and the Catholic Church, as they refused to live under the rules of either.

As a craftsman's guild Compagnonnage was banned by the National Assembly under the Le Chapelier Law in 1791. The law was not annulled until 1864.

World War II

During the Nazi Occupation of France in World War II, the Compagnons split into different factions; those supporting the collaborationist Vichy regime and those in the French Resistance. Many sièges burnt all their records in order that their details never be uncovered by the Nazis or the Vichy. The splits within the Compagnonnage remain bitterly held to this day.

Compagnon professions

The typical professions of the Compagnons are:

• stonecutter
• mason
• carpenter wood constructor
• roofer
• plumber-heating engineer
• locksmith-metalsmith
• joiner
• plasterer-patternmaker-fibrous plasterer
• painter
• upholsterer
• cabinetmaker
• gardener-landscape architect
• cooper
• body repairman
• boiler maker
• mechanic constructor
• electrician
• precision mechanic
• blacksmith
• horseshoer
• cobbler
• leather goods maker
• harness maker
• baker
• pastry chef

Notable Compagnons

• Adolphe Clément-Bayard, c. 1871, blacksmith
• Edmond Le Martin, blacksmith / farrier, hosted many travellers in Dunes. Father of aviator Léon Lemartin.
• Joël Robuchon, In 1966 Robuchon became the official chef of La Tour de France namely “Compagnon du Tour de France”, enabling him to travel throughout the country, learning a variety of diverse regional techniques. As a companion he also became inculcated with the spirit of reaching moral, manual and physical perfection.

Literature

Le Compagnon du Tour de France was a novel written by George Sand in 1840.

See also

• Musée - Librairie du Compagnonnage

External links

• Template:Fr Official website of the Association companions