The vegetable cellar, often called the ‘potato cellar’, was used to store agricultural produce that liked relative humidity and was not exposed to light. Beetroot for livestock and potatoes for human consumption were stored here. The cultivation of this tuber became widespread in the Vallée de Villé in the first half of the 18th century.
Today, the remains of the mining activity in the Val de Villé can be seen. Numerous mines were worked in the valley from perhaps Gallo-Roman times until 1928. Depending on the site and the period, silver, copper, antimony, galena, iron and fluorite were mined. Coal was mined at Albé in the last century.
On the ground, you can see the parts of a pumping machine from the mine operated by the House of Austria in Lalaye in the 16th century. The documents on the wall explain the operation of this double pump, which drew water from a depth of 80 metres. This well is exceptional. It is the only one in Europe to be perfectly preserved. It cannot be visited because it is submerged in water, which preserves it.
The showcases contain small items from this shaft, such as valves with leather seals and wedges, as well as ceramic and glass objects and stove tiles from the “Champ Brêcheté” miner’s house in Urbeis. You’ll also find a 16th-century cog railway and documentation on the old miners’ dwellings in the hinterland.