Villaines-les-Rochers, in Indre et Loire, is indeed the village of wicker! Let us judge by this: of the 120 basket makers, approximately, who practice their profession, their art, in France, about forty work in Villaines-les-Rochers... Yes, about a third!
You add that about thirty osiériculteurs and osiériculères also work there, and you say to yourself that, yes, Villaines-les-Rochers can be described as a wicker village!
Don't miss the Cultural Wicker Basketry Area!
This Espace Culturel Osier Vannerie is "a space for promoting the know-how and emblematic heritage of the village, wicker and basketry" and it wants to "support local initiatives, proposals and innovative experiences".
That's... that's the serious language of official presentations... But...
But in fact, far beyond that, it may be necessary to simply say that you will be seduced, admired, surprised, interested...
You will see the Musée de l'Osier et de la Basnerie, with about 200 objects, all more beautiful than the others, and all showing an extremely high level of expertise.
You will participate in discovery and educational workshops with local basket makers, you will walk on the interpretation trail on the Osier, the Basketry and the Troglos.
You will discover the Salicetum, an exhibition of living wicker, and the Wicker Garden...
And you will experience a real opening on the village, meetings with local osiériculteurs and basket makers, guided tours, etc...
The basket makers of the village....
They offer traditional basketry, luxury basketry, contemporary basketry, and also production basketry for bakery, decoration, furniture or outdoor, as well as workshops, meetings, training courses...
And there are many of them, as we saw at the beginning of the article!
Also, to give you a quick overview, we take up the list published on the Espace Culturel Osier Vannerie website, the names being links to the corresponding pages, or to each other's websites.
The Coopérative de Vannerie, basketry and wicker production, store, production for bakery and distribution, furniture, traditional and luxury basketry, landscaping, workshops and training courses, bringing together 35 basket makers (including 4 Meilleurs Ouvriers de France) and 25 osiériculteurs et osiériculices, 1 rue des Cheneillères in Villaines-les-Rochers, 02 47 45 43 03 Video of the cooperative
Romand d'Art, Catherine ROMAND, basketry of art and contemporary art, shop, workshops, training courses, 63 rue de la Galandière in Villaines-les-Rochers, 02 47 45 45 49 04
Etienne and Aurélien METEZEAU, traditional and outdoor basketry, shop, internships, 54 rue de la Galandière in Villaines-les-Rochers, 02 36 97 41 87
Marie-Hélène METEZEAU, basketry workshop, art therapy, internships, 50 rue de la Galandière in Villaines-les-Rochers, 06 21 73 73 09 40
Christophe ROMAND, basketry, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, 63 rue de la Galandière in Villaines-les-Rochers, 02 47 45 45 49 04
Plume et Brin d'Osier, Christine VINCENT, basketry of ornithological accessories, guided tours of Villaines-les-Rochers on wicker and basketry, La Ridellerie in Saché (2 kms from Villaines-les-Rochers) 07 82 01 50 29
L'Osier de Gué Droit de Séverine and Patrick BOYER, basket weaving and wicker production, Le Gué Droit in Saché (2 kms from Villaines-les-Rochers) 02 47 73 21 05 - 06 17 46 56 46 46
There, there... plus the others, you haven't finished strolling, and admiring!
Espace Culturel Osier Vannerie
7 place de la Mairie
37190 Villaines-Les-Rochers
Tél. 07 88 24 47 35
http://espaceculturelosiervannerie.unblog.fr/
*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
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