Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Domaine des Saveurs – Les Planons, formerly Musée départemental de la Bresse, is a museum located in Saint-Cyr-sur-Menthon, in the department of Ain, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Located in a Bressane farm listed as a Historic Monument in 1938, it traces daily life in Bresse from the 18th century to the present. The estate, which was operated until 1984 and acquired in 1989 by the General Council of Ain, was restored before being opened to the public in 1995.

The Planons farm, the heart of the museum, is a typical architectural complex of the Bresse, composed of five buildings organized around a square courtyard. These buildings, dating from the late 15th to the 19th century, illustrate the evolution of rural techniques: frame in wooden strips, torchi, roofs in tile-canal and pise. The house reconstructs the interior of an 18th century farmer, while the outbuildings house agricultural and craft collections.

The museum covers more than 20 hectares, including spaces dedicated to the breeding of Bresse poultry (AOC) and a reconstituted cheese cooperative. In 2005, a modern semi-entered building was added to accommodate permanent exhibitions, including more than 3,500 objects: jewellery in Breton enamels, traditional capes, regional furniture and musical instruments. The site was awarded in 2007 with a special mention of the European Museum of the Year award and labeled in 2011 for its remarkable earth architecture.

In 2019, the museum was renamed Domaine des Saveurs – Les Planons to focus on Bressane gastronomy, a terroir celebrated since the 18th century by gourmets like Brillat-Savarin. The museum journey combines rural history, artisanal know-how and culinary heritage, with interior reconstitutions, workshops and spaces dedicated to local productions (poultry, cheeses, butter).

The Farm of Planons, inhabited from 1490 to 1992, is an exceptional testimony of Bressane rural architecture. Ranked among the first protected farms of the Ain, it combines medieval elements (sarrasine route) and 18th and 19th century developments. Traditional materials – wood, torchi, bricks (carrons) and pebbles – are highlighted, as are everyday objects, such as sculpted hooves or lace caps, reflections of a hierarchical peasant society.

The museum also offers an immersion in the festive and musical traditions of the Bresse, with instruments such as the bagpipe or the old wheeled, as well as paintings depicting wedding scenes. The collections include bressans enamel trims, offered during family rites (communion, engagement), and regional furniture with characteristic style, combining dark and light wood. These elements illustrate the strong cultural identity of the Bresse, between rural heritage and gastronomic excellence.

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