PASSION FOR CLAYIN SAINT-HILAIRE-LES-PLACES

Meeting with Jean-Louis and Ludivine, at Atelier Musée de la Terre

A child of the Pays Arédien (Glandon), Jean-Louis Goudier has been President of the “Amis des Tuileries du Limousin” since March 2024. An association of which he is a proud member. It’s with great pleasure that he shares with us his younger days, a time when he accompanied his father to deliver wood for the kilns at the Tuilerie de Babaud in Saint-Priest-Ligoure. The creak of tiles firing, the smell of the kilns in operation, everything here brings back memories. He recounts that there were no fewer than 13 tile factories in operation on the Puycheny site.

Jean-Louis Goudier & Ludivine Pellico-Rousseau

President of "Les Amis des Tuileries du Limousin" and in charge of heritage enhancement.

Tuilerie Aupeix Saint Hilaire Les Places

Coup de coeur d’argile!

“The workers cooked their food over coals, it was quite a peculiar way of life. What’s more, they didn’t have the same artistic vision we’re looking for today”. Elected in the commune of Janailhac some thirty years ago and accompanied by a group of enthusiasts, he felt it was important to promote and perpetuate this know-how for the future, in collaboration with the commune of Saint-Hilaire-les-Places. And so, a few years later, the Tuilerie Aupeix became the museum we know today.

Ludivine Pellico-Rousseau is originally from Picardy and arrived in our beautiful Limousin 4 years ago. Already familiar with the region after having stayed here a few times, it was in search of nature and a more pleasant climate that she made the choice in 2020 to settle here and start her professional adventure at the Atelier-Musée. Today, she is in charge of communications, heritage promotion and tourism (mediation, exhibitions, tours and workshops), as well as managing the store and certain administrative tasks.

A whole history …

The story of the museum began in the 1990s, when a group led by Jean-Claude Mazerolas and Huguette Billaudelle set about saving a 19th-century tile factory listed as a Monument Historique. The project began with a phase of reflection, followed by an awareness of the site’s interest. Jean-Louis explains that “it was part of our industrial heritage, as tile factories were closing down one after the other in the 1950s and 60s”. The next step was to find the financial means to restore the site. And so, thanks to the support of Région Limousin, the Haute-Vienne department and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the tile factory was given a new lease of life. Subsequently, a parking lot was built on the site in place of another old tile factory that had been demolished. The reception building, meanwhile, was once a bar-grocery store where tile-makers would come to share a moment of conviviality.

An enduring story

Today, the Atelier Musée de la Terre has 4 salaried employees. They are supported by a board of directors and some twenty active volunteers who are committed to the site. The staff still use Puycheny clay, as tile-makers did in the past, and perpetuate this use by diverting the original purpose of the tile. Workshops are organized for the whole family throughout the year (children: one Wednesday a month, adults: every week) and they are looking to develop new activities, such as kiln building or vegetable dyeing, for example. The Lande à Serpentine (Serpentine moor) is also open to walkers, offering an opportunity to observe a particular type of vegetation and fauna. The site is managed by Espaces Naturels de Nouvelle-Aquitaine and is open to visitors free of charge. Jean-Louis explains that they are “passing on this heritage to future generations”.

A small store featuring a number of local craftsmen and “Made In Puycheny” products also enhances the reception area, providing visibility for the artists.

To maintain its activity, the association receives annual subsidies from the commune of Saint-Hilaire-les-Places, the Pays de Nexon-Monts de Châlus community of communes, the Haute-Vienne department, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and the French government.

Future projects

Ludivine expresses a desire to perpetuate what already exists, to adapt to new demands, and plans to visit schools and other establishments open to the public.

The aim is to bring the Puycheny site to life, to enhance the value of its moorland and to offer a museum focused on the future and the work of clay.

Another activity once very present in the region, Jean-Louis explains the association’s plan to create a hardwood hut to showcase this local heritage.

Ludivine Et Jean Louis Atelier Musee De La Terre

Ludivine and Jean-Louis' favorites

Fascinated by culture and the world of flora and fauna, Ludivine recommends the park of the Château de Nexon, a place where nature and heritage come together in harmony. And let’s not forget culture, with Le Sirque de Nexon and its Multi-Pistes Festival.

A lover of the great outdoors and mysterious places, Jean-Louis invites us to explore the special atmosphere of the Bonnes Fontaines de Courbefy and their remarkable chapel. It’s a magical place with a breathtaking view over the Périgord.