The Compagnons du Tour de France are a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages, but still active today. Their traditional, technical education techniques includes taking a tour, the Tour de France around France and being the apprentice of competent masters. For a young man or young woman today, the compagnonnage is an original way to learn a trade while developing character by experiencing community life and traveling. The community lives in a Compagnon house, there are more than 80 in France. The houses vary in size from a small house for 5 people to a big house with more than 100 people living together.
Until recently, the compagnons were all male. Today, compagnons can be found in 49 countries across 5 continents practising many different trades.
A similar tradition exists for German Wandergesellen, or journeymen, to set out on the Wanderjahre.
Tour de France simply refers to the fact that they are working in different places in France; every six months to a year,they are required to change work locations. This is unrelated to the Tour de France cycliste, a cycling competition. The word compagnon is a diminutive of compaing, a person with whom one breaks bread.
Read more about Compagnons Du Tour De France: Stages of Becoming A Compagnon, Life During The Tour De France, Compagnonnage and History, Compagnon Professions, Notable Compagnons, Literature
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