Project launch juin 1979 (≈ 1979)
Creation of the idea of the Ecomusée.
mars 1980
Opening workshop Dolls
Opening workshop Dolls mars 1980 (≈ 1980)
Preparation exhibition on costumes.
1981
Constituent association
Constituent association 1981 (≈ 1981)
Creation of the cultural association.
janvier 1982
Merger of associations
Merger of associations janvier 1982 (≈ 1982)
Birth of the definitive association.
30 juin 1984
Inauguration of the Country House
Inauguration of the Country House 30 juin 1984 (≈ 1984)
Official opening to the public.
1992
Completion of adjustments
Completion of adjustments 1992 (≈ 1992)
End of internal work.
2011
Closure to the public
Closure to the public 2011 (≈ 2011)
Stop visits.
2012
Transfer of collections
Transfer of collections 2012 (≈ 2012)
Validation by the High Council.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Information non disponible - No name cited
The source text does not mention any key character name.
Origin and history
The project of the Écomusée du Pays de Montfort was launched in June 1979, with a first concrete initiative in March 1980: the opening of a "Dolls" workshop to prepare an exhibition on costumes, organized in the room of chestnut trees. This dynamic led in 1981 to the creation of the Cultural Association of the Écomusée du Pays de Montfort, formalized in January 1982 by the merger of the Friends of Montfort and the Traditional Research Centre. These associations laid the structural and thematic foundations of the future museum, focusing on ethnology, local history and photography.
The major result came on 30 June 1984 with the inauguration of the Tower, renamed Maison de Pays, which now housed the Ecomusée and the Syndicat d'Initiative in summer. Work, begun in 1979, continued until 1987 for the major work, while interior developments (offices, temporary and permanent exhibition rooms) were only finalized in 1992. The museum will definitely close its doors to the public in 2011, before a transfer of its collections to the commune of Montfort-sur-Meu is validated by the Haut Conseil des Musées de France in 2012.
The Ecomusée was distinguished by remarkable collections, including the Legendre fonds (12,000 glass plates of the early 20th century), traditional costumes, artisanal furniture (beds, shoemaker tools) and machinery related to local industry, such as the steel industry. These elements illustrate the daily life, trades and know-how of the region, from the modern to the contemporary era. The museum was labeled Musée de France and attached to the commune of Montfort-sur-Meu (code Insee 35040), in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine.
Although administratively located in Montfort-sur-Meu, the initial address indicated in the Museofile base referred to the town hall of Montfort, while GPS coordinates pointed to 19bis Boulevard Villebois-Mareuil. This geographical duality reflects the administrative and heritage developments of the site, which is now inaccessible to the public but whose collections remain preserved.
