The "Aubusson tapestry" tour will immerse you in the world of Aubusson expertise, its crafts, art works, history and extraordinary artistic development during the last century.
The artisan who performs the task of tapestry weaving is known as a "lissier" in French. The expertise of the town of Aubusson is now recognised by UNESCO as "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". Observe the traditional process of weaving using a low-warp loom with this demonstration by Patrick Guillot.
Aubusson is well known for its tapestry workshops, witch were granted the status of royal manufactory in the 17th century. Discover the history of this artisanal activity and learn more about the organisation in the manufactories.
The history of Rue Saint Jean is closely linked to that of the Sallandrouze family, who commissioned the construction of several carpet factories and impressive employer lodgings. Discover two of the large manor houses, generally known as "châteaux", located in this street alongside the most recent buildings of the Sallandrouze factories which are still in existence today.
The manor house known as "Château Saint Jean" is the former employer’s lodging of the Sallandrouze family. This video will introduce you to the detailed architecture of this building which boasts a sense of freedom and strong Art Nouveau influences, and lead you to discover the chapel of Saint Jean which can be found just a little further up the street.
The quality of material and work of a colourist play a key role in the final result of a tapestry. Discover the artisanal process of wool dyeing, as it is still practised today at the Roger dyeing workshop in Aubusson.
This tapestry was commissioned by the State and woven in Aubusson using a Gérard Garouste design. Enter the tapestry through this video and discover the mythological tale of the young weaver, Arachne.
Several artworks are exhibited in the church. This tapestry created in the 18th century in Aubusson depicts the story of the miraculous catch as told in the Gospel of Luke.
The tapestry entitled The Return of Tobias was created in Aubusson in the 18th century. It depicts an episode from the Book of Tobias, an apocryphal book of the Old Testament.
Aubusson tapestry making experienced significant changes in the interwar period, at the instigation of the Ecole Nationale d’Art Décoratif d’Aubusson and a variety of artists. Follow the different stages of artisanal and artistic development, with Bruno Ythier, conservator at the Musée de la Tapisserie in Aubusson, as your guide.
The Cité Internationale de la Tapisserie et de l’Art Tissé was established in Aubusson to showcase the expertise recognised by UNESCO as "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". This video will guide you in a more clear understanding of the role of the organisation, which features a museum and has a variety of missions, and allow you to discover the ambitious architectural project for the building where the organisation will be housed in the future.
