MUSEUM OF STONE AND MAFFLE QUARRIES

Since medieval times, Maffle has extracted and worked with blue stone ("small granite"). It is a sedimentary rock dating back to the primary age and used in sculpture and construction work. It was also calcined in lime kilns and cut into curbs or paving stones. The museum is located in the former home of quarry master Jean-Baptiste Durieux in the heart of the former quarry site. It highlights local industry while detailing stonework in Belgium and Europe. The techniques of extraction, cutting and pruning, using machines, tools and iconographic documents, and the evolution of transport techniques from the Middle Ages to the present day, and mechanization - steam cranes, overhead cranes, industrial railways. The museum also presents the social condition of quarry workers - salary, work, clothing, housing - and career masters. The visit can be completed by the screening of films about stone work or the social condition of the workers. Finally, the "The Stonemason's Apprentice" workshop allows the youngest to grasp the subtleties of this profession: take the measurements, use a template and engrave a bas-relief with a hammer and a chisel at the end of the exercise, it is possible to proudly take your creations with you!