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Origin and history

The Vieux-Bourg tilery, located in Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin, is the last vestige of the many tiles active since the 18th century along the rise of the Loire. These facilities, at least two dozen at the end of the 19th century, exploited the quality of local clay to produce bricks. All were located on the banks of the river, but only the river of the Vieux-Bourg continued until the beginning of the 20th century, ceasing its activity around 1916 after the requisition of its dryers to house the wounded.

The site initially retained seven drying halls and a clay preparation workshop, now missing or in ruins. The oven, marked by lizards, preserved its five-way pyramid chimney, characteristic of the industrial buildings of the time. Private property when it was registered for the Historic Monuments in 1998, it was bought by the municipality, which completely restored it in 2012 to ensure its preservation.

The construction activity of Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin reflected the economic importance of the Loire as a transport axis and source of raw materials. The concentration of the tiles on its lifts is explained by the ease of supply of clay and water, as well as by the proximity of river lines. The gradual disappearance of these sites in the 20th century illustrates the industrial changes and the end of small local productions in the face of modernization.

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