Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée de la féilerie was born from the collection gathering between the 1960s and 1990s, thanks to the contribution of the inhabitants of Villedieu-les-Poêles, themselves from the copper trades. These donations have enabled a fund to be built representative of locally produced objects, despite the absence of copper mines in the region. A documentation work then completed these collections to give a complete testimony of local craftsmanship.

The museum is located in the courtyard of the Foyer, one of the nearly 40 courtyards-workshops of the city, characteristic of its vernacular architecture. These spaces, probably dating back to the late 12th century, housed workshops for the manufacture of copper objects. Their presence is explained by the history of Villedieu, the oldest commandership of the Order of Malta in northern France, which has favoured the establishment of a strong concentration of copper artisans.

The collections exhibited illustrate the diversity of local productions, from stoves to other copper objects. The museum is associated with buildings bordering the courtyard of the Foyer, classified as historical monuments, and benefits from the label Musée de France. Its official address, 25 rue du Général Huard, confirms its anchoring in the industrial and artisanal heritage of Villedieu-les-Poêles-Rouffigny.

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