Medieval Weekend at Metallurgic Park

An Exceptional Heritage Site Dedicated to Medieval History

Metallurgic Park, the first interpretation center dedicated to metallurgy in France, occupies a former ironworks founded in 1839 in the Blaise valley, renowned as the most ancient and active metallurgical valley in the 19th century. The 1830 blast furnace, listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments, with its wheel, blowing engine, and casting floor, provides a magnificent backdrop for this medieval reenactment weekend. The Conservatory of Metallurgical Arts, housed on the same site, enriches the experience with its immersive and interactive scenography retracing the epic of cast iron, a savoir-faire from Haute-Marne exported worldwide.

The Odyssey of Iron in the Middle Ages

The Medieval Weekend offers a unique dive into the world of medieval metallurgy. The West Side Team association unveils the secrets of ancient metallurgy by recreating the operation of a bloomery furnace with local ore, transforming raw material into forgeable metal bars before visitors' eyes. Master blacksmiths, such as those from Forge des Blochers, offer medieval blacksmithing demonstrations, revealing the ancestral gestures of this fire art. Goldsmithing and metalworking workshops complete this immersion into medieval metal crafts.

Activities and Workshops for the Whole Family

About ten medieval exhibitors and artisans set up their stalls in the ore park to showcase daily life in medieval times. Visitors can try their hand at making traditional bows and arrows, striking tin medals, or discovering the repoussé metal technique to create their own relief patterns on a soft metal sheet. Younger visitors benefit from archery initiations supervised by the Metallurgic Park teams, while the De Taille et d'Estoc association offers demonstrations and initiations to historical fencing.

Tales, Music, and Shows

Professional storytellers, such as Luc Laroche or Annukka Nyyssönen, captivate the audience with tales of fire and metal legends at various times during the weekend. On Saturday evening, a medieval music concert is held, featuring groups like Compagnie Sorga, a medieval band from the Reims region, followed by a convivial meal and a fire show that beautifully concludes the evening.

An Event Rooted in the Heritage of Haute-Marne

Since its first edition in 2018, the Medieval Weekend at Metallurgic Park has continuously grown, attracting over a thousand visitors each year. The event is part of the park's summer programming and contributes to the influence of the Blaise valley and the metallurgical heritage of Haute-Marne. The free access to the site during the medieval weekend enhances the accessibility of this unique cultural and family event, where industrial history and the medieval era meet in an original way.