Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Champourcin plaster factory, located in Digne-les-Bains in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is a major testimony of the regional plaster industry. Built between the 1880s and 1890s, it illustrates the development of plaster production techniques at the end of the 19th century, with initial ovens abandoned in the 1920s in favor of a more modern rotary oven. These installations, which were permanently decommissioned in the 1940s, marked the technological evolution and gradual decline of this local activity.

The site, including the quarries and remains of the furnaces, was recognized for its heritage value and listed as historic monuments by order of 17 June 1996. This protection highlights the historical importance of gypsum exploitation in the region, as well as the industrial architecture characteristic of this period. The factory is part of a landscape marked by mining and the transformation of natural resources, reflecting the economic and social dynamics of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

Today, the Chambourcin plant offers a concrete overview of past production methods, while highlighting the challenges of preserving industrial sites. Its inclusion among historical monuments makes it a place of interest for the study of French industrial history, especially in the Provençal context where mining and artisanal activities have played a key role in local development.

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