Tellure: Historical Mining Centre
The Val d'Argent Community of Communes wishes to reinforce the economic development of the region through the carrying out of a project based upon the exploitation of the unique patrimony of the Valley, that is the working of the silver mines beginning in the XVIth century.
In charge of the project, the Inter Collectivity is carrying out the mining park, TELLURE : Exploration Centre of the Underground Worlds. TELLURE is a touristic park, a historical centre and also a place where this fantastic heritage can be seen.
A building of about 3 000 m2 including 800m2 of museum areas, collections, shops, catering, halls for seminars and a silver mine (from theXVIth century, XIXth, and beginning of the XXth century).
tThe objective for these facilities is to promote the once glorious mining and local heritage (in connection with the various other organisms pertaining to the exploitation of the local patrimony) and make it known to the public.
The site will offer various interactive workshops:
- the trades related to the mining activity & social life in the 16th century
- a tour of the St Jean Engelsbourg's mine (separate areas showing what the exploitation was like at different times - 16th century in particular)
- demonstration of the mining techniques.
Sounds effects , illustrations and video will be used in the presentations to make the tours more attractive. We wish to share and pass on the emotion of a unique voyage through time....
Besides this main theme, the historical centre will offer special exhibitions and conferences related for example to minerals, silver, money, jewelry, the life in the depths of the Earth ( faults, movements, tremors tec...). All that will allow us to present a diversity of subjects in connection with temporary exhibitions, hence motivating the publilc to come! The tourists and local visitors will then be joined by a more specific kind of guests made up of specialists and scientifics interested in participating to special occasions and seminars.
From the very beginning, our wish has been to always keep this project going on and moving forward to avoid falling off after a certain time. The mining park's name is TELLURE, and it is meant to grow and broaden its activities. It will exploit not only the silver mines, which remain at the heart of this project, but will also concentrate on other matters pertaining to our planet Earth.
This project, real touristic development tool, will no doubt help our valley, crippled by a double decline following a fall off of the local mining activity and textile industry, to bounce back and use its mining heritage to build the future on the foundation of its economic roots.
The Silver Valley's President of the Community of Communes : Jean-Luc FRECHARD
Activities of the Silver Valley Community of Communes : click here
