Origin and history
The Forges des Salles, founded in 1623 by Henri II de Rohan on the communes of Sainte-Brigitte (Morbihan) and Perret (Côtes-d'Armor), is a rare example of a Breton steel village. This industrial site, active until 1877, was specialized in the production of iron and wood cast iron, exploiting local resources: iron ore from the Black Mountains, charcoal from the Quenecan forest, and hydraulic energy from artificial ponds. Its organization reflected an autarcized community, with workers' housing, workshops, school, and chapel, all structured around blast furnaces and production needs.
The origin of the forges dates back to the desire of Henry II of Rohan, leader of the Breton Protestants, to rationalize the anarchic exploitation of the ore by the local peasants. He appealed to Geoffroy de Finement, master of the Liegeese forges, to build the first hydraulic blower blast furnaces between 1621 and 1623. The site was strategically chosen for its proximity to the ore deposits, the forests providing charcoal, and the river operating the wheels with blades. Over the centuries, the forges supplied the arsenals of Brest and Lorient, while meeting agricultural needs, becoming a symbol of early Breton industrialization.
The 19th century marked both the climax and the decline of the Forges des Salles. In 1802, Louis Henri de Janzé bought the site and partially modernized the installations, such as the construction of the "new forge" in 1815 or a new blast furnace in 1844. However, despite an annual production of 500 tonnes of steel in the 1850s, the site was unable to compete with the iron ore or English forges, using coke and benefiting from railways. The depletion of forest resources, the poverty of local ore (30% iron), and the Franco-British trade treaty of 1860, which brought down prices, precipitated the final closure of the blast furnace on 1 July 1877. The lack of effective industrial conversion condemned the village to a remarkable "fossilization", thus preserving a unique heritage.
In the 20th century, the site was preserved by the family of the Pontavice, descendant of the Janzé, which started its restoration from 1990 via the Association of Friends of the Forges of the Halls. Ranked Historic Monument in 1981 and 1993, the steel village was opened to the public in 1992, attracting 10,000 to 15,000 annual visitors. The restoration works, financed by visits and grants, allowed to safeguard the emblematic buildings: the row of the houses of the blacksmiths, the coal halls, the school, the chapel, and the blast furnace. In 2020, the Forges integrated the "Pays des Rohan", a Country of Art and History label, highlighting their role in the industrial and social heritage of Brittany.
The architecture of the Forges des Salles illustrates a social and technical organization typical of the Ancien Régime. The village, divided on two levels, separated the working spaces (workshops, blast furnace) and living spaces (housing, school, canteen), connected by channels and inclined planes. The houses of the workers, lined in a "row" of twelve identical houses in schist, reflected a strict hierarchy: the "internal" blacksmiths enjoyed gardens and pasture rights, while the clerks and the master of forges occupied more spacious houses, such as the manager's house with his terraced garden, the Tabor. This arrangement, centered around the blast furnace, symbolized both industrial efficiency and the paternalism of the forges masters, who provided housing, education, and care for their workers.
The trades and resources of the Forges des Salles were a complex ecosystem. The charcoal, produced by coal miners in the Quenecan forest, was stored in halls before feeding the blast furnaces, while the iron ore, extracted within a 20 km radius, was washed and transported by sactors. The water, which was essential to operate the blades and to wash the ore, was managed through a network of four ponds and a 4 km bib. Among the trades, carpenters, blowers, marketers, and moulders played a key role in the production and maintenance of machines. The canteen, a place of sociability, also served as a grocery store and inn, while the school, run by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit from 1833 onwards, reflected tensions between productivity and social obligations.
Today, the Forges des Salles embodies an exceptional industrial and social heritage, where technical innovation, community organization and economic decline combine. Their almost intact preservation offers a unique testimony of the Breton workers' cities, marked by the paternalism of the forge masters and the adaptation to natural constraints. The site, now dedicated to tourism, offers visits, lodgings in old workers' houses, and exhibitions on traditional metallurgy. Its integration into the Rohan Country and its Country of Art and History label make it an emblematic place to understand the impact of the industry on the rural areas of Brittany, far beyond its traditional agricultural image.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review