The perimeter is traced with a cork, giving it a marbled appearance.

Provenance: Maison du Val de Villé in Albé

Explanation of the symbols

TULIP: Faithfulness, maternal womb,
The chalice (gift of God)

STRAWBERRY: Abundance, prosperity, a very common symbol in the 16th and 17th centuries.

THE GRENADE: Fertility, fruitfulness. Theme brought from the Turkish Crusades.

The very rustic design and the presence of the strawberry suggest a date between the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century.

Information supplied by Georges KLEIN (Former curator of the Musée Alsacien)

Deeply buried, with the floor covered in sandstone slabs, the cellar remains cool and moist all year round, ideal for preserving the wines, particularly the famous Albé Pinot Noir.

A wooden wine press is installed near the door. Connected to a post by a rope, this system was used to extract the maximum amount of grape juice.

The wooden door has a symbolism that is often used in Albé: at the bottom, the lozenges symbolise the fertility of the earth and are surmounted by a radiant sun.

The window wells (cellar windows) are fitted on the outside with a sliding sandstone stone. This device regulates the circulation of air and light.

Don’t forget to visit the adjoining museum (opposite), reserved for temporary exhibitions.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

The part reserved for the farm occupied the north of the building. Over the years, it had undergone a number of transformations. The most recent alteration was necessary to provide exhibition and tasting space for the Maison du Val de Villé.

However, an expert eye will recognise two levels that were once used as a hayloft. On the upper floor, there are grain chests (bread was a staple food in the Ancien Régime), a sorting machine, a mechanical winnowing machine, a hand winnowing machine and a straw chopper.

Carriages entered the barn through a carriage entrance in the rear gable wall. Its arched sandstone frame is set into a rectangular inner doorway. The barn was separated from the stable by a brick wall fitted with feeder windows.

A cart door connects the courtyard with the church street. This passageway is a reminder of the old road that ran the length of the courtyard. Note the clog-making machine before the exit.

However, there is evidence of a shoemaker in Albé from the early 19th century. This craftsman made all the local population’s Sunday shoes.

The room, black with soot, was used as a smoking room, as evidenced by the iron rings still in place. Meat could also be smoked by hanging it directly into the chimney flue on wooden crosspieces provided for the purpose.

Note the old straw hives bound with chestnut bark.

The part reserved for the farm occupied the north of the building. Over the years, it had undergone a number of transformations. The most recent alteration was necessary to provide exhibition and tasting space for the Maison du Val de Villé.

However, an expert eye will recognise two levels that were once used as a hayloft. On the upper floor, there are grain chests (bread was a staple food in the Ancien Régime), a sorting machine, a mechanical winnowing machine, a hand winnowing machine and a straw chopper.

These last two trades were practised by Augustin VON DER SHEER, builder of the Maison de Pays.