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Key figures

Origin and history

The Trelaze Slate Museum is a museum space dedicated to the memory of shale miners and the history of slate mining in the Angelvin basin. Located in Trélazé, in the heart of the Angers-Trélazé deposit, it occupies an area classified among the remarkable sites of Maine-et-Loire since 1993. The museum is divided into three parts: slit demonstrations, exhibition rooms in an old match factory, and a walk through ancient quarries converted into natural spaces. It also preserves an exhaure mill in restoration and is labeled "Musée de France".

The origin of the museum dates back to 1979, with the creation of the Association of Friends of the Slate by Marcel Goacolou, dit Goa, a group of miners and splitters wishing to preserve their secular know-how. In 1981, the association moved to the Union House and the rooms of the former matchmaking factory, officially opening the museum in 1984. In 1985, it expanded its site to the surrounding area, including mounds and old slate bottoms, and built a demonstration amphitheatre in 1989. After renovations in 1993 and 2013, the museum celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2009, while strengthening its heritage role after the closure of the Trelazé slate in 2014.

The museum's collections include tools, machines, costumes, photographs, sound and paper archives, as well as slate models and objects, illustrating the evolution of extraction and shaping techniques. Notable rooms include a mining cabin, an elevator cage, and a carved shale fireplace. The museum offers animations such as the Feast of Perreyeux, lectures on slate social history, and workshops for children. He also participates in regional events such as the unusual Museums as part of Made in Angers.

Located in Trélazé, at 32 chemin de la Maraîchere, the museum is managed by the Association of Friends of the Slate, which maintains a site of 3 hectares partially owned by the association. Its financing is based on entrances, local grants (including the town hall of Trélazé and the Pays de la Loire region), and private partnerships such as the one with Larivière for slate supply. In 2013, an exceptional grant of € 137 000 allowed renovations, while in 2017, support from Technitoit financed an audiovisual booth. Alain Roger has been president since 2014, succeeding Pascal Houdemont.

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