Montmorillon is a Book town and it is branded as the "City of Writing". The town has several writing-inspired museums and bookshops covering several genres.
History
"Bières de Montmorillon"
The town was once known for paper making, but in the nineteenth century the mill and its plentiful supply of clean water was repurposed to making the "Beer of Montmorillon". The beer was made from 1848 and sold to discerning drinkers who rejected the usual drink of red wine. The family-run business continued to 1963, leaving several abandoned buildings.[4] In 2015, the brewery opened again.[5]
The clay mineral montmorillonite was named after Montmorillon after its discovery there in 1847.[6]
Montmorillon is branded as the "City of Writing" as it has had museums and bookshops with that theme since 2000.[7] The idea that Montmorillon should be a Book town came from Régine Deforges, a local councillor who was a successful, and controversial, author. The town had a history of paper-making, and her idea received local and international support. The old medieval quarter of the town attracted six million euros of funding.[8]
It is also known for its macarons, and there is another museum dedicated to that.[7] The museum was opened in 2003 by the Maison Rannou-Métivier[9] who are the oldest macaron bakery in Montmorillon, dating back to 1920.
The widely popular Coopération pédagogique range of educational posters were produced in Montmorillon, in the 1950s by Éditions Rossignol.[8]
Le Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Montmorillon (MAHM)
The Museum of Art and History in Montmorillon was created in 1936. After closing for several years, the museum reopened in 2018. Located the right bank of the Gartempe, the museum was once a primary school.
The museum has a collection of regional paintings of the 19th and 20th century. This collection of paintings comprises works by Raoul Carré, Jehan Berjonneau, Alfred Plauzeau, Raoul-Félix Etève, Jeanne Harry-Lorne and Henri-Pierre Lejeune. The subjects depicted by the artists are varied. The majority are portraits but the landscape of the local area is strongly featured with the artists having drawn inspiration both from the landscape of the region and their wider travels.
As well as the painting there are a number of graphic documents, designs by Henri Plisson and water colours by Gratiant Emmanuel.
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