Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Farm of Planons, located in the hamlet of the Mulatière in Saint-Cyr-sur-Menthon (Ain), is an emblematic example of the rural architecture of Bressane. Originally built in the 14th century, it originally consists of a torch house with a buckwheat fireplace and a valet room. Its extension began in 1490 with the addition of two bedrooms (the young girls and the seigneur's), and then continued in the early seventeenth century with the creation of a lever (utilitarian room) and an outdoor gallery.

Between 1710 and 1800, the estate expanded considerably from 20 hectares to 46 hectares of arable land. In the 19th century, commons (stables, stables, ovens) in pise were built, contrasting with the house in torchi. Ranked a historical monument in 1938, the farm was acquired by the department of Ain in 1988, and restored between 1992 and 1995 to house the Bresse Museum, opened in 1995. Two weather events (falling in 2014, hail in 2016) damaged its iconic fireplace.

The farm, organised around a closed square courtyard, illustrates the traditional techniques: roofs in tile-channels, wooden panels, torchis, and pricked. It houses a historical reconstruction of the life of a farmer in 1784, based on notarial archives. Its outbuildings exhibit agricultural equipment, models and a room dedicated to Bresse's poultry, completing an immersive journey in rural history.

In 1973, the farm served as a setting for the television film La main enchantée (Michel Subiela), adaptation of a novel by Gérard de Nerval. Today, it is part of the Domaine des Saveurs – Les Planons, a major cultural and heritage place in the region, managed by the department of l'Ain.

The five classified buildings (house, barns, sheds) symbolize the evolution of the Bressan habitat from the 15th to the 19th century, mixing agricultural, residential and social functions. Their preservation allows you to understand local lifestyles and know-how, while highlighting a unique architectural heritage in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

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