Choosing the right wood, splitting it skilfully, then squaring each piece: the skills of the tavillonneurs are as precise as they are timeless. In French-speaking Switzerland, only a handful of craftsmen still master this art. Tirelessly, they pave roofs and facades with hundreds of tavillons, split wooden planks - most often made from spruce - also known as shingles or anseilles, depending on the size and region of production. As the seasons go by, they all take on a silvery-grey colour, typical of the way in which the wood protects itself from the elements.

The first traces of the use of tavillon in Switzerland date back to Gallo-Roman times in what are now the cantons of Solothurn and Zurich. This was the beginning of a long history, since on the Plateau, its use was not supplanted by roof tiles until the 17th and 18th centuries. It continued to be used extensively in the mountains until the 19th century. The emergence of new materials and measures to combat village fires then led to the decline in its use in localities.

The only thing left to do is admire them on historic buildings, alpine chalets and other mountain huts. An emblem of the Pre-Alps, it is estimated that the tavillonnage on a façade can last for a century. Proof if it were needed that this is hard, precious work. More than anything else, this centuries-old trade of passion is threatened by the small size of the market in which it operates.