NOAILLES VILLAGE

A cross-des-Bouquets, and mainly in the Quartier district, many artists work the metal. It all started in 1953 when Witt Peters, the creator of the art centre, encouraged Georges Liautaud, a mechanic of some years who had previously mastered some cemetery crosses, to engage in wrought iron production. In his aftermath, and benefiting from his advice, the brothers Louis Just, Gabriel Bien-Aimé and Serge Jolimeau started in the adventure. The material is supplied by large bidons of empty fuel (droum) that you need to burn, flatten, clean before you can trace the figures that are then extracted. The martelage to give relief and the opening complete the work. Recently painted forged irons have appeared, but they are often a more coarse bill. A young French ethnologist took care of this new art form and devoted a book to it.

The village of Noailles vibrates with the sound of the hammer that the craftsmen ditch metal to make them small masterpieces. Dozens of artisans and artists welcome travellers and others in their stalls full of steel arabesques and other carved iron tables. Prepare your negotiating skills. The show is worth a visit!