Here’s looking at you!

There are many houses in this region with ornamental, sculpted faces added to their façades. I love the way this personalizes homes – often with a bit of humor – and frequently with a jovial smile. Some of these faces are amazingly expressive. Most are quite old.

Once you start looking for them, you find them everywhere! Here are some I’ve photographed in Montagnac and other towns in the Languedoc.

The open mouths serves as drainage for rain water.Five preceding photos: Even though these carved wooden beams date from the Middle Ages, and have seen centuries of rain and wind, they still show enough detail to make out facial expressions. This is just one of the amazing wood framed homes that have survived in remarkable shape, in the town of Mirepoix. The very old fountain, just steps from our house, has two faces like this.

This guy, sporting his tasseled night cap (above), is one of my favorites!