The carpenter is the direct descendant of the remote ancestor who first imagined all the possibilities  that the tree could offer or permit to mankind:  the roof, the chariot, the bridge and the ship.  The trade of carpenter united, for many centuries, all aspects of woodwork, a material whose universality later gave birth to numerous specialities. 

It is sufficient to read Julius Caesar to understand how much the work of the military genius appealed, more than twenty centuries ago, to the resources of carpenters.  We know the Greek temple's classic form was concieved by woodworkers, and that the latin farms which resulted from their work spread inevitably throughout the entire Roman empire, until Europe was overwhelmed by the wonders of Gothic art.

Today the carpenter has, above all the other wood professions, maintained the most direct contact with this material, which he respects for its initial appearance and specific qualities.

Les Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France
Alternative training, from apprentice to senior executive (ou manager), is assured by the "Maisons des Compagnons du Devoir".  They give the possibility of acquiring the knowledge sanctioned by state diplomas and, beyond that, a solid professional experience.
The "Tour de France"
A tradition to see further.  The journey is a privileged moment during the professional and human  course of the Companion of Duty working in the companies.
These visits in France and abroad, in contact with the best professionals, opens  to each one the broadest prospects and prepares him to live his trade in its entirety.

 

Framework from the Saint-Paul Saint-Louis Church, Paris.  Inscription dating the creation in "1634" of the framework (document Compagnon du Devoir).