The fabrics of Valgrisenche: Drap

Since the dawn of time, the inhabitants of the Valgrisenche have devoted themselves to the typical trade of the valley: the weaving of “drap”. This rustic fabric, initially only in a few colours, is made of sheep’s wool using the antique “métiers” (looms).
Today drap comes in a considerable variety of shades and patterns, mainly geometrical. The fabric is in great demand for furnishing, because it is hard wearing, durabile and boasts the particular warmth that is characteristic of all craft products.

*“Drap: the textile soul of a community”
Group visits may be booked for this permanent exhibition, set up in the Vieux Quartier multi-purpose hall in 2009 to celebrate the Cooperative’s 40th anniversary.
Through pictures, objects and the recollections of the people of the Valgrisenche , the exhibition attempts to illustrate the various aspects of a skill handed down through the generations, which has engaged whole families in a trade that in the 1950s was at risk of disappearing for good.
A publication on the exhibition is available.