Lessoc
Intro
The village of Lessoc in the Alpine foothills is located on the right bank of the Saane river in the Gruyère region. This small village is nestled in the well-maintained agricultural land of the Intyamon Valley, at the foot of the peak of Les Millets.
Lessoc is positioned between the municipality of Bulle and the locality of Montbovon. Its village square, into which the streets converge in the shape of a star, is one of the most beautiful in Switzerland. It contains a covered fountain and is ringed by well-preserved buildings. In addition to the village square, the locality is characterised by rows of well-preserved farmhouses with splendid gardens.
In addition to agriculture, forestry and livestock farming, the use of the stone quarry, which remained open until the 1920s, was an important source of income for the inhabitants of Lessoc. The quarries were a source of tufa and veined limestone, which is sometimes referred to as “marble”. These materials were used to build many of the buildings in the village itself, including the covered, octagonal fountain in the village square – the last of its kind in Switzerland. According to one tale, Vater Colin's mare once drank from the fountain, which did not have a roof at the time. He believed that the mare swallowed the moon that was reflected in the water. In order to prevent any further incidents of this kind, the village council decided to cover the fountain.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
