Once upon a silk…

In 1850 the Ardèche produces up to 3,500 tons of cocoons, it is the apogee of silk worm breeding. It is a family affair and when you do not have a silk worm house (place to breed silk worms), the home itself is used.

From 1720 the Ardèche is the main centre of perfected raw silk production in the south of France. Then the Nosema parasite (a silk worm disease) arrives and ravages the breeding centres. In 1857 production is no more than 5,500 tons falling to 50,000 kg in 1957.

Today, it is possible to visit old silkworm breeding buildings that have been left as they were on closure and rehabilitated as museums.

Some addresses of sites to visit:

# The Chirols Mill Ecomuseum ()
Tel: +33 (0)4 75 94 54 07 - Contact.

Multimedia:
Slide show of the ecomuseum.
Source : The Chirols Mill Ecomuseum website.

# “Ma Magnanerie”, in Lagorce
Tel: +33 (0)4 75 88 01 27 - Email.

Multimedia :
Overview of the museum, in pictures.
Source: The museum website.

#“Il était une soie” (, by appointment only),
in Saint Vincent de Barrès
Tel: +33 (0)4 75 65 93 40 / Mobile: +33 (0)6 82 25 67 72 - Email.

# The spinning mill (), in Largentière
Tel: +33 (0)4 75 39 26 87 - Email.

# The Château des Roure, in Labastide de Virac
Tel: +33 (0)4 75 38 61 13 / Mobile: +33 (0)6 85 72 27 99.
Email

# The Mas de la Vignasse farm (), in Saint Alban Auriolles
Tel : +33 (0)4 75 39 65 07 or +33 (0)4 75 39 73 20 - Email.

Up

• The Chauvet Cave
• Romanesque art
• Protestantism cultural heritage
• Silkworm breeding