Cartridge for a single-control faucet containing valve plates made of hard material and having both the water inlets and outlets positioned in the bottom of the cartridge characterized by the cartridge having a water-tight shell; the cartridge containing sealing means interposed between the interior of the cartridge and the operating members which are intended to project outside the faucet; and the cartridge contains communication means that link the interior of the cartridge with a passage constituting the outlet for mixed water or the water intake.