Timeline

Origin and history

The Regional Museum of Cider and Calvados was founded in 1964 and was established in 1972 in the House of the Grand Quartier, a 16th century building in Brix. This building, a former workshop of a dye maker (furnace still visible), successively served as military barracks (XVIII–XIX centuries) and social housing (XX century). It preserves remarkable elements such as a staircase with screws, a medieval structure, chimneys from the 16th-17th centuries and a Renaissance pavement.

The museum presents a national reference collection dedicated to cider and calvados, nicknamed "Blond gold of the Normans". Its objects illustrate the entire production chain, from picking to consumption, with rare pieces such as a wooden stacking tower (XVIIth–XXth centuries), monumental oak presses (XVth century), or traditional containers (godiaos, marquis, Dames-Jeannes). A bed carved in a 19th century barrel, "Croque-la-Pomme", evokes original sin with naive motifs.

Originally centered on the traditional production of Côtentinaise (XVIIIth – mid-20th century), the museum today expands its mediation to the contemporary issues of the Norman cidric industry: economy, environment and heritage. The Maison du Grand Quartier, classified as a Historic Monument, and the museum, labeled the Musée de France, form a unique heritage complex linked to Norman identity.

Among the assets of the site are apple grinders covering four centuries (XVIIe–XXe), as well as a collection of ceramics dedicated to the transport and tasting of cider. The exhibition highlights the evolution of techniques, from craft tools to modern challenges, while highlighting the central role of cider in regional culture and economy.

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