Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The slates of La Pouëze, located in the Armenian Massif, are part of the alignment of the deposits of Angers-Trélaze. Their exploitation dates back to the 15th century with open-air quarries, but it was in the 19th century that they experienced a major boom. In 1797, three families of carrier (Chesneaux, Gasnier, Bellanger) settled there after the closure of a slate in Chatelais, laying the foundations for an activity that would transform the village.

In the 19th century, several careers developed, such as the Fiogée (exploited by 200 workers) or the Espérance, producing up to 7 million slates annually. Industrialisation accelerates with steam and electricity machinery, but working conditions remain dangerous: falls, fatal accidents (like the fire of 1899 killing 4 people) and strikes (1913) mark the social history of the site. Production peaked in the early 20th century, with 300 workers in the 1950s.

The No.3 well, with its unique wooden chivalry in Europe (classified in 1999), symbolizes this period. Exploited up to 355 metres deep, it ceased operations in 1968, replaced by the 3bis well. The operation declined after a fall in 1989, and the slate production stopped permanently in 1997. Today, the reconstructed straddling (2014) and the working-class cities (Fiogée, Pouëzettes) bear witness to this industrial heritage.

Remnants also include the " Trou-Colas" (open pit), administrative offices, and mechanical elements such as the 3bis well machinery. The history of the slates is also that of Breton migrations (from 1895) and union struggles, reflecting the economic and social upheavals associated with the slate industry in Anjou.

Culturally, the site inspires local artists, such as the painter Stani Nitkowski, son of a Polish slate worker, or the philosopher Alfred Fouillée, whose father was director of the Fiogée career. These links illustrate the deep anchoring of slates in the identity of La Pouëze and Erdre-en-Anjou.

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