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Origin and history

The Museum of the Companion of Tours is a municipal establishment located in the former Saint-Julien Abbey, north of National Street in Tours. It houses a unique collection of masterpieces made by companions of duty, as well as symbolic attributes, archives and objects related to traditional crafts. These pieces come in part from historical companion societies, such as the Workers' Association of the Companions of the Devoir or the Companion Union of the United Duties, and testify to the artisanal excellence passed through the centuries.

Founded in 1968, the museum recovered and valued collections from a first "Companion Museum" created in 1911, whose works belonged to the various companion societies. These funds were enriched by deposits from other museums and private donations, covering a variety of fields: tools, costumes, religious practices, and objects related to biblical legends evoking the origins of companionship. The building itself, with its former dormitories of Saint-Julien Abbey, adds a historic dimension to the site.

The collections highlight various professions such as carpenter, roofer, stone tailor, carpenter, locksmith, shoemaker or bottler. The museum is labeled "Museum of France" and is positioned as a place of living memory of artisanal know-how, while providing an insight into the ethnology of trades and their social and religious dimensions. Its official address, 8 rue Nationale, makes it a central point in the tourist heritage.

The Saint-Julien Abbey, which is a home, is a historic monument in its own right, strengthening the link between architectural heritage and workers' memory. The museum thus illustrates the transmission of knowledge, the companion rituals and the evolution of techniques through sometimes multisevere pieces. His interest lies as much in the artistic quality of the works exhibited as in their symbolic value to the trade communities.

The location of the museum, noted as "passable" in precision (level 5/10), and the photographic credits under Creative Commons license (Guill37) highlight its anchoring in the cultural landscape of Tours. The available sources, although partially incomplete (as highlighted on the Wikipedia page pending verification), confirm its key role in preserving the intangible heritage related to work and crafts in France.

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