Our national network

Historically the Companions who made their Tour de France were housed in inns maintained by « Mothers » or « Fathers » who were sometimes themselves former Companions. The various companies of Companions were negotiating a contract with these innkeepers to allow itinerants to be accommodated and fed at advantageous prices. A room was also reserved for them to hold their assemblies.

Different terms were then used according to the associations of workers to designate their seat: the « Chamber » carpenters or carpenters « Cayenne » Carpenters, for example. Among the possible origins of this word, the Cayenne was an old boat transformed into a floating barracks serving as a depot of Marins or Soldiers in the ports of Outre-Mer.

We must wait until the 1950s to see the first companion seats as we know them today and in which accommodation, classrooms and meetings are gathered.

The Companion Union is represented in France and Switzerland by 25 local sections. Each local has a Cayenne in which itinerant and learning youth can find the cottage and cover and participate in the various activities proposed by the sedentary Companions. True « Hotel of the Workers », the Cayenne is the place of sharing par excellence between different generations and professions.