Glacière du Gaudin, 19th-century ice house in Mazaugues, France

The Glacière du Gaudin is a semi-buried sandstone ice house in Mazaugues, 23 m high and 17.60 m in diameter, built to hold 3,100 m³ of ice. Its round walls of irregular light-gray stone rise to a conical roof of curved terracotta tiles; a small rectangular opening sits high on the facade, and a barred arched opening near the base. The tank is closed by a dome-shaped vault whose stone framework converges at the top on a stone cut like an ear of wheat.

The ice house was built in the 1880s at Le Gaudin, on the commune of Mazaugues, together with three freezing basins covering 5,000 m² behind it. Advances in refrigeration technology of the period meant it was used for only a few years before being abandoned. It is now a listed monument historique.

The name Pivaut is used locally alongside the official name Glacière du Gaudin, after the lieu-dit where it stands. The three freezing basins, each holding about 750 m3, were separated by earth banks and stone blocks, and large oaks shaded the shallow 15 cm of water. Between two and four freezes were needed to fill the store.

The ice house stands at Le Gaudin, on the edge of Mazaugues in the Var. The semi-subterranean chamber is entered at ground level, while the dome rises above the surrounding land. The three freezing basins lie just behind it, separated by earth banks and stone blocks and shaded by large oaks. The site is outdoors and unroofed, so plan for sun and uneven ground.

The three freezing basins behind the ice house cover 5,000 m² but hold only 15 cm of water, and their slight tilt plus the shade of large oaks slowed sun exposure. Filling the 3,100 m³ chamber took between two and four separate freezes.