Photo : Jujubier / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Musée Troglo
The Musée Troglo, or troglodyte village of Rochemenier, is at Louresse-Rochemenier, in the Saumurois (Maine-et-Loire). It brings back to life the daily life of the peasants who lived in houses dug in tuffeau.
Two former underground farms, restored and inhabited until about 1911, were opened to the public in 1967. You walk through the dwellings and their outbuildings, furnished with hundreds of peasant tools and objects, as well as an underground chapel. A room also presents fossils, tuffeau and shelly sand being rocks of marine origin. Some rooms offer sound and light atmospheres that help imagine life of old.
The visit highlights a way of living adapted to the climate, with a stable temperature all year round underground. It interests families, with game booklets for children, as well as lovers of rural history and Loire Valley heritage. The site is Qualité Tourisme labelled and is largely visited sheltered from bad weather.
