The museum of Cooperage

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ow could we talk about the content without mentioning the container…
The region of Orleans, land of vineyards and wines had also to be the land of presses, barrel, tuns, casks, hogsheads, and other wine containers… missing only bottles, ice cubes and tables outside!
The Museum of Cooperage in Chécy is a museum of unusual type dedicated to barrels and coopers. displaying a rich collection of tools, pictures, archives,, various documents and materials about cooperage, winegrowing and winemaking, On show also, beautiful pieces of cooperage works of art and wooden bushels, some reconstructions based upon designs from Diderot and d'Alembert Encyclopaedia dated 18th century.
Every stage of barrel-making is detailed: starting from selection of the wood up to the finished barrel, after your visit, dowels, bungs, doves and lagbolts will be familiar to you.
A fully reconstructed wine-celllar complete with presses, barrels and bottling equipment is on show, to evoke the works of wine aging and related trade and recount the long history of cultivation of vineyards and life of the coopers in Chécy.
In the yard, a vineyard farmhouse, the outbuildings of the museum, stable, cowshed, barn, bakery, bread oven (activated twice a year), and the living area, all carefully refitted, are open to the visit. A small garden recalls how pears, medlars, nuts. ..were of common culinar use and aromatic plants such as rosemary, thyme, sage,for medicinal purpose.
The museum is managed by the municipality in partnership with the association "Chécy, les amis du patrimoine (Chécy, heritage friends)" and is open from April to September.
Over the seasons, the museum offers to discover its temporary exhibitions and its animations for young and old alike.