Timeline

Origin and history

The Breton Marsh Discovery Centre, called Le Daviaud, is an open-air ecomuseum located in a Sensible Natural Space in the heart of the Breton Marais. Created in 1981, its mission is to preserve and transmit the Maraîchin heritage, both material (967 objects, furniture, tools) and material (know-how, music, dance). The site, which extends over 800 m2 of indoor exhibitions and an outdoor route of 1 km, includes traditional buildings, an old farm, a salt marsh and forgotten vegetable gardens. Its collections, made up mainly between 1982 and 1983, were enriched by donations and some purchases.

The Daviaud illustrates the link between man and his territory through a flock of local breeds, traditional costumes and reconstructions of daily life, as in the bourrin in Louise. Between 2013 and 2017, the Communauté de Communes Océan-Marais de Monts modernised the site to better reflect the history of the Marais and its inhabitants, while strengthening its tourist attraction. The museum offers multimedia devices, children's games and activities accessible to people with disabilities, such as an escape game or the Dancing Barn, an emblematic place for local parties.

Labeled Musée de France, Le Daviaud is distinguished by its landscape richness and immersive approach, combining archaeology, ethnology and natural sciences. His official address, Lieu dit Le Daviaud, in La Barre-de-Monts (Vendée), makes him a living conservatory of Salesian traditions, from births to funeral ceremonies, to family holidays. The site, surrounded by six hectares of protected nature, plays a key role in the preservation of collective memory and environmental awareness.

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