International audienceThe reconstruction of the rural world after the truce of Tours in 1444 necessitated the building of fortified houses similar to those found in the village of Vasles, the former property of the Poitiers Sainte-Croix abbey. Such houses were originally constructed for reasons of security. Faced with constant harassment from the feudal lords of Montreuil-Bonnin, the abbess in order to affirm the position of her order, decided to construct a building which incurred financial sacrifice. This she did by extremely clever management of the land belonging to the abbey. Her project needed building materials, which for reasons of economy came from the local area, whilst other materials from elsewhere were chosen for their symbolic value : for example the slates on the roof. The way in which she organised the most cost-effective transportation of these materials shows just how effective were her management skills
