Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The ecomuseum of the cherry country is located at Petit Fahys, a hamlet of Fougerolles-Saint-Valbert in Haute-Saône. Located in an old distillery built in 1829 by Desle-Joseph Aubry, it presents daily life in Haute-Saône in the 19th century and the techniques of distillation of kirsch, an agricultural activity which has become industrial. The site, active for more than 150 years, now houses a modern museum combining exhibitions, projections and sound ambiences.

The tradition of distillation of cherries in Fougerolles dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, with an industrial boom from 1850 onwards thanks to companies like Peureux or Lemercier. The decline of distilleries began in 1915 with the ban on absinthe, but the production of kirsch reborn in the 1950s, leading to the AOC in 2010. The museum, created in 1982 by local enthusiasts and the SALSA, became the Musée de France in 2003.

The site consists of a master house, a distillation room, a conservatory orchard (created in 1991 with 40 cherry varieties) and modern spaces such as the basement room. The scenography, redesigned in 2007 by Audrey Tenaillon, highlights local know-how, distillation tools (Armacnais and Charentais), and social evolution related to alcohol, from births to village festivals.

The ecomuseum offers temporary exhibitions (such as Being a child at Fougerolles 1880-1950 in 2014 or Little absinthe with friends in 2015) and annual events such as L Integrated into the Engrenages network (ex-MTCC) and the Regional Natural Park of Ballons des Vosges, it attracts nearly 10,000 visitors a year since its renovation.

The Petit-Fahys Distillery Farm, listed in the General Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1984, illustrates the rise and decline of a craft activity that has become industrial. The building, enlarged in 1831 with a distillation room and a chalot (typical dependence of the Saônoese Vosges), bears witness to the ambitions of its owners, between rural life and the emerging bourgeoisie. Today, four distilleries continue this tradition in Fougerolles: Coulin, Devoille, Lemercier and Peureux.

Collection

Totalement repensée en 2007, l'exposition présente l'histoire de ces agriculteurs devenus industriels, leurs manières d'habiter, de travailler, de se marier ou de boire.
Un peu plus loin, ce sont l'arbre et le fruit, l'alcool, sa consommation, son économie ou encore sa législation qui sont abordés. Dans les anciens locaux de distillation, une exceptionnelle collection d'alambics est présentée, significative des différentes techniques employées. On découvre alors l'alchimie qui transforme le fruit fermenté en alcool cristallin, symbole de pureté.

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