Description :
This episode of Humanity and Reality was produced by Radio País as part of the European project Tramontana Network (Réseau Tramontana), co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. Through the collection of oral testimonies, the project preserves and shares the cultural heritage, languages, memories and ways of life of rural European communities. In this edition, the programme visits the village of Castell de Candau in Béarn, where a local resident recounts his life and the history of his community.
The interview explores the evolution of Castell de Candau from the 1940s to the present day, describing its geography, traditional farmhouses, family names, mills, agriculture and the gradual depopulation of the village. The speaker reflects on the disappearance of many farming families, the importance of preserving local heritage, and the decline of the Béarnais (Occitan) language, recalling how children were once discouraged from speaking it at school despite it being the language of everyday family life.
The conversation also addresses wider historical events that shaped rural life, including the two World Wars, the arrival of refugees, military service during the final period of the Algerian War, and the profound changes brought by agricultural modernisation. Through personal memories, the speaker expresses a deep attachment to his homeland, explaining why he chose to return to his village to continue working the family farm, preserve its traditions and safeguard a way of life that is rapidly disappearing.