Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Savonnerie factory, now located in Lodève and Paris, is the first royal carpet factory founded in France. Its origin dates back to 1627-1628, when Pierre Dupont and Simon Lourdet, two lissiers, set up a workshop in an old soap factory in Chaillot (now Palais de Tokyo), transformed into an orphanage by Marie de Medici. The cheap labour of orphans and the technique of the tied point brought back from Turkey by Dupont make it possible to produce velvety carpets "like the Levant", intended for the court of France or offered in diplomatic presents. The carpets of the Grande Galerie du Louvre, woven from the cartons of Charles Le Brun, are among his most prestigious achievements.

In 1631, the workshop officially moved to Chaillot after enlargement, then divided into two family branches (Dupont and Lourdet) until their meeting in 1714 by Bertrand Dupont. The management then moved to the Duvivier (1743-1826), a period marked by royal orders and technical innovations. In 1825, Charles X merged Savonnerie with the Gobelins factory, transferring the trades to Paris in 1826. The Parisian workshop, still active within the Gobelins, perpetuates a unique craftsmanship, while Lodève now houses a part of the production.

The technique of the Savonnerie is based on a high smooth trade and the node Ghordès, executed from enlarged artistic cartons. Each carpet, woven from left to right, requires careful steps: wetting, mounting of the lices, nouage, mowing and finishing with combs and scissors. The lissiers interpret the motifs by relying on a referenced colour chart (NIMES), guaranteeing exceptional quality. The emblematic works include the choir of Notre-Dame de Paris (1825-1833), the gallery of Apollo or the Louvre, as well as orders for prestigious places such as the Château de Rambouillet or the Hotel Negresco.

The history of the Savonnerie is also that of its leaders, from the Dupont, Lourdet and Duvivier families. Pierre Dupont (1560-1640), pioneer of the knot, and Simon Lourdet (1590-1667) laid the foundations of the workshop. Their descendants, including Bertrand Dupont (reunifier in 1714) and Jacques Noinville (register from 1720 to 1742), ensured the continued existence of the factory. After 1826, Savonnerie was integrated into the Gobelins administration, while maintaining its technical and artistic identity. Today, it is part of the National Manufactures - Sèvres & National Furniture, alongside the Beauvais and Gobelins workshops.

The Savonnerie archives, preserved at the National Archives (cote 497AP), bear witness to its central role in French decorative art. Its carpets, often monumental, adorn palaces, cathedrals and private residences, such as those of the Ephrussi villa of Rothschild or the Elysée. The manufacture remains a symbol of luxury with French, combining craft tradition and innovation, from Louis XIII's orders to contemporary creations.

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