BEFORE THE CURRENT DRAMONT DISTRICT EXISTED THE WORKERS CITY BUILT BY THE PORPHYRE QUARRY SOCIETY TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCREASINGLY NUMEROUS WORKFORCE. THE CITY, WHICH WILL BECOME A VILLAGE, WAS SITUATED OPPOSITE, ABOVE THIS LAKE, ONE OF THE FORMER QUARRIES.

The first houses were built in 1872, before the arrival of the Belgian company in 1883. The workers and their families were housed close to the workplace in order to to retain them and ensure the renewal of the workforce composed mainly of Italians.

The city had 20 houses each housing several families at the end of the 19th century.

The old buildings of the quarry village have disappeared. Only the old director's house remains (Villa Alphonsa) still visible at the top of the quarry.

The conditions were precarious: the accommodations have two three-room apartment for larger families. The fountains and toilets are public. Electricity will not be installed only after 1944. The wood-burning stove provides heating and to cook. Each house has a small garden where poultry and rabbits are raised alongside the vegetable garden. Hunting and fishing improve everyday life.