Saint-Loup-sur-Semouse is an unknown name, yet the history of this town in the Haute-Saône region has many secrets to reveal! In particular, it is the birthplace of Armand Petitjean, the founder of Lancôme.
Saint-Loup has been renowned for its expertise in the furniture industry since 1859, thanks to big names like Usines Réunies and Parisot. This history has given birth to the Conservatoire de la Cité du meuble, a legacy of Saint-Loup know-how.
As you stroll along, you may come across Château Bouly, or Château de Malliard, a listed building dating from 1755.
After more than a century in the business, the Usines Réunies closed its doors in 2013. The municipality of Saint-Loup bought part of the factory buildings and stumbled across a treasure trove: thousands of chairs stored and hung in the attics.
Today, the role of the Conservatoire is to list and clean the pieces that have been found, most of which are unique, in order to showcase this heritage and this precious know-how.
On display are chairs and seats of all styles and from many different periods, as well as the tools used to make them. In particular, you can admire one of the chairs that once furnished the French Senate!
It's a new museum that's constantly evolving, and well worth a visit!
Did you know ?
The Parisot workshops in Saint-Loup-sur-Semouse furnished and decorated the Gruss caravan, the largest mobile home of the 1950s. The result was a showcase for the expertise of the craftsmen and women of Saint-Loup-sur-Semouse, with luxurious furnishings and innovative fittings for the period.
The caravan, once abandoned in the Paris region, has been reclaimed by the town of Saint-Loup, with a view to renovating it and restoring it to its former glory.
"PALANDO MALEUS ARDEA": When the hammer strikes, it heats up. This was the motto of the Bouly family, who were masters of the forge when the château was built in 1755. A visible sign of prosperity at the time, the residence is partly listed as a historic monument.
Purchased by the département in 1974, the château has now been returned to local ownership.
The list of famous people born in Haute-Saône includes Armand Petitjean, who was born in Saint-Loup-sur-Semouse in 1884 into a family of distillers. He quickly discovered that he had a nose for perfume, and began working in the perfume and cosmetics industry with the Coty company, before founding his own brand in 1935: Lancôme.
