Fonte Dart Fonderie Hachette Et DrioutThanks to its natural resources such as water, wood and iron ore, the Haute-Marne saw significant development of its metallurgical industry in the 19th century, in particular that of Art Cast Iron. It was in Saint-Dizier that the price of iron in France was set at the time.
Le Paradis - Art casting
Le Paradis - Art castingFirst and foremost: molding, which consists in taking an imprint of a model in the shape of the object you want to produce.
And there’s nothing better than a visit to Le Paradis, located just half an hour from Saint-Dizier, in Sommevoire.
Le Paradis is populated by plaster molds of religious statues from the Durenne collection. This bewitching, unusual and almost mystical place is run by the association Les Compagnons de St Pierre, which of course holds the keys to the place.
Have you ever wondered how the statues, benches and fountains that form part of our everyday landscape were made?
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Street furniture Wallace fountain Saint Dizier 0Then the cast iron is poured into the mold. And it’s at Metallurgic Park, in Dommartin-le-Franc that our discovery continues. Here we explain everything from iron ore mining to the casting of pig iron.
From the blast furnace of 1834, to the trades of tomorrow, the epic story of Art Cast Iron is presented in an educational way. Cast iron pours and workshops for children are offered on a regular basis. You’ll be proud to take home a medal you’ve cast yourself!
Metallurgic Park Lac Du Der 002
Metallurgic Park Lac Du Der 001
Cast iron Art Cg4
Porte Dauphine Metro EntranceOur route continues along the Blaise valley and its hilly landscape, which bear witness to this metallurgical past, with forge masters’ houses in Allichamps, working-class housing in Brousseval, a paddle wheel (1890) in Montreuil-sur-Blaise, the Parc des Promenades in Wassy…
This wealth of heritage radiates around the world. Here, it is particularly visible in the streets of Saint-Dizier, with balconies designed by Hector Guimard, a major architect of Art Nouveau, a Wallace fountain and street furniture from local foundries.
A stopover at the municipal museum reveals a remarkable “Guimard” collection of everyday objects.
President, Association de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine métallurgique de Haute-Marne
Elisabeth Robert Dehault 2“In the 19th century, Haute-Marne was home to France’s most important art foundries.
They mass-produced thousands of cast-iron models that adorned France and the world
but also remarkable monuments”.
“The four gilded bronze winged horses on the Alexandre III bridge, the Art Nouveau
nouveau subway entrances, the Wallace fountains and, in Saint-Dizier, the Monument du siège de
1544″.
“Dommartin-le-Franc: Metallurgic Park and Conservatoire des arts de la métallurgie,
Sommevoire: Paradis Durenne, Montreuil-sur-Blaise: 19th-century paddlewheel,
Vecqueville: 1866 blast furnace, Poissons mines, Saint-Dizier: museum and Guimard circuit.
circuit”.
