Description :
This programme from Radio País is part of the European Tramontana Network (Réseau Tramontana / Tramontana Network), a project co-funded by the European Union that documents and preserves oral memories, rural traditions and the cultural experiences of European communities. In this episode, the testimony of Bert offers a direct and personal account of everyday life in Provence, recalling family work, poverty, social changes and the transformation of rural society throughout the twentieth century.
Bert describes a world where work dominated daily life from an early age. He remembers his family’s difficult living conditions, with relatives working in factories, mills and agriculture to support large households. He explains that, despite poverty, people shared strong community ties and accepted hard work as part of ordinary life. His memories illustrate the contrast between a rural economy based on self-sufficiency, mutual help and physical labour, and the consumer society that developed later.
The interview also explores changes in values, family relationships and social behaviour. Bert reflects on the idea of returning to older ways of living, while acknowledging that the past also involved hardship and limitations. He discusses the challenges faced by families, the difficulties of raising children and the decline of traditional forms of solidarity. His testimony provides a deeply human perspective on how rural communities have changed, preserving the memory of a way of life that has largely disappeared.