Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The mine-control of Alès, located in the Gard in the Occitanie region, is a mining work unique in France, designed in 1945 in the context of the post-war era. Its objective was to train future generations of Cevenol miners in a country undergoing economic reconstruction after six years of global conflict. This educational site has welcomed hundreds of apprentices aged 14-18, supervised by experienced instructors, to teach them the techniques of extraction, the support of galleries and the manipulation of mining tools.

Between 1945 and 1968, the control mine played a key role in the transmission of mining know-how, while the Alès basin employed more than 22,000 people and produced 2.4 million tonnes of coal annually. The galleries, which were constantly expanded by the apprentices, served as a practical support for mastering dangerous skills, such as firing with explosives or installing hydraulics. This place symbolizes the collective effort of the Cevenol miners for the French industrial revival.

Closed in 1968, the mine has been transformed into a museum site open to the public since 1985, offering a dive into the difficult universe and demanding coalfields. After a scenographic renovation in 2010 and a temporary closure between 2014 and 2020 due to weather conditions, it reopened in July 2020. Today, it preserves the social and industrial memory of a time when coal was vital to the local and national economy.

The guided tour, of varying duration, allows to discover a century of mining history through galleries where the temperature varies between 15 and 17°. The journey highlights the extreme working conditions of the miners, their courage and their contribution to the post-war production effort. The mine-control remains an authentic and moving testimony of the Cevenol industrial heritage.

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