Among the articles devoted to the ecomuseums of the "Great West", all unique and unusual, here is the ecomuseum of the Loir et Cher
Ecomuseums, or the sharing of human memory
There are about 300 eco-museums in the world, 200 of which are in Europe. They have gradually established themselves since 1968, and work on the tangible and intangible heritage of a region, a population, with actions of research, presentation, conservation, and enhancement of properties, activities, trades, know-how...
As a result, each of them is rich in its own unique and unusual particularities.
The « Grand Ouest Insolite », therefore, presents them.
You will therefore find the list of ecomuseums, department by department, with addresses, useful links, and a small description taken from their websites, or documents dedicated to them.
If you want to discover them all, type "eco-museums" in the small search tool at the top of each page, to the right of the « Grand Ouest Insolite » logThe Loir et Cher Ecomuseum
Saint-Viâtre (41) : House of ponds
The visit of the house of the ponds of Saint-Viâtre is an excellent starting point to discover this magnificent region which is the Sologne des étangs (Loir et Cher).
In the heart of a commune rich in historical heritage (with no less than 135 ponds), the Maison des étangs offers a historical approach to the region, but also the ecology of the ponds, the fauna and flora, the management of the ponds and the fish farming practised there.
The House of Ponds is the showcase of the Sologne ponds, it is both a museum and an ecomuseum.
In the first phase of the visit, using models, panels and a detour near a pond, we discover the construction, operation, history and raison d'être of the Sologne ponds.
The second phase of the visit takes place in the new extension, a veritable ethnological museum where the trades that revolve around the ponds or use their "derived products" are described.
Rooms show the bungs and tools of the carpenters who made them, the plough workshop specializing in flat-bottomed boats, the work of hemp that was rolled in the ponds and its use, including the demonstration of rope making. An educational herbarium illustrates the flora of the ponds and the following room describes the uses of these plants. The rushes are also used to caulk the barrels, a room presents their manufacture. The traditional habitat is evoked in a room called the fisherman's house with antique furniture and utensils where the cooking of freshwater fish is evoked.
Finally, a temporary exhibition room allows to present more varied subjects or related to the history of Saint-Viâtre.
La Maison des étangs
2, rue de la Poste
41210 Saint-Viâtre
Tél. : 02 54 88 23 00
http://www.maison-des-etangs.fr/
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Click on the image
