Marseille soap

It’s made with vegetable oils mixed with soda.Traditionally, olive oil is used to make Marseille soap.Marseille city has had soap factories from the 12th century.

• It was invented by Gauls who made it with goat fat

and beech ashes.

• Roman people used it to cure cutaneous illnesses

while Arab people were the first to use it to clean.

• It came back to France thanks to the Crusades.

Around Marseille port, the number of soap factories

rapidly increased.

History

• In 1660, there were 7 factories in the town which made about 20,000 tons a year. At that time workers from Genoa and Alicante brought their knowledge in soap-making to the Marseille people.

• Then, soap was exported to England, Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Hamburg (Germany).

• In 1786, there were 49 factories which made soap. The most important year was 1813 : Marseille city had 62 soap makers. During the first world war, the industry declined and during the second world war, Marseille made half of the production. After that, the industry continued declining

• It’s made with 63% of palm or coprah oil, 9% of sea salt or soda and 28% of water.• It’s used to have showers, do the housework or wash

clothes. It’s known to be an eco-friendly product without allergens• Marseille soap is essentially used in Europe but is known

in Northern Africa and in the USA or Canada too.

Today

We found the different informations on these sites : wikipedia.frsavons-de-provence.commarseillais-du-monde.org

Julie, Juliette and Maëva

Since Antiquity, nougat has been made in the East with almonds, honey and spices. Its recipe was known by Greeks who made that with walnuts.In the 14th century, the Damascus confectioners created a new nougat. The recipe was essentially composed of sugar, pistacchios or walnuts, eggs and gum arabic.Since the 17th century, nougat has been imported in Provence, in Marseille town which got quickly the monopoly of this sweetmeat. During the 17th century too, Olivier de Serres planted the first almond tree near Montélimar. Montélimar nougat was created during the 18th century and the recipe was then with honey and almonds.

Emile Loubet who was born in Montélimar became the French President in 1899. Then, he started an advertising campaign for nougat. He gifted nougat to foreign presidents who came to France. So nougat got an international fame.This tradition comes from Philippe d’Anjou who, when he went to Spain to become king, passed through Montélimar and received nougat for gift.

It’s also thanks to is geographic situation that nougat spread : Montélimar town is on the N7 national road and near the A7 motorway Currently nougat production adds up to 4500 tons a year. This sector employs 300 people. Twelve nougat makers are still in business in Montélimar town.

The nougat in the world

We found nougat in more than 60 countries in Europe and in the rest of the world , exported by companies like Charbert & Guillot etc.

In Spain, we found turron and torrone in Italy. Both of them come from Montélimar nougat.

We found the different infomation on these sites :Wikepedia.frDiane-de-poitiers.frNougat-chabert-guillot.com

Julie, Juliette, Maëva

Silkworm farming and silk trade

For more than two centuries, the

Ardèche region has been the first

region for the processing of textile

fibres.

I- Silk manufacturin

gSilk is a textile fibre of animal origin. Before turning

into a butterfly, the caterpillar of a worm that feeds

on mulberry leaves (called ‘silkmoth”) spins a

cocoon in order to protect itself. It produces silk

thread that averages 1200 metres in length.

Silk production cycle

http://www.piop.gr/PiopMuseum.asp?

ID=269&NT=18&Lang=4&MuseumID=268

Silkworm farming

O To obtain silk, the first stage is to

breed silkworms in special farms

called “magnaneries” and grow

mulberry trees whose leaves provide

their staple diet.

Silk-spinning

O The cocoon is emptied after being dipped in

hot water to soften the “grès”, a substance

that holds the cocoon together. The silk thread

resulting from this is very long but also very

fragile That’s why several cocoons are emptied

at the same time and when it gets drier, the

“grès” causes the threads to stick together.

Silk processingO After spinning the thread is raw but

cannot be dyed because of the grés that holds the different strands together. So this sticky substance needs removing

before bringing the strands together again while twisting the thread on itself. That

process is called “moulinage” as the machine used for twisting the thread is a

“moulin” (un moulin = a mill)

O The process of “moulinage” allows

dying and improves the quality of

the thread which becomes more

resistant, regular and flexible.

Moulinage

Other processes

 

OThe silk thread produced in Ardèche

is then shipped to Lyon to be used in

different ways : dying ; weaving….

II- History of silk

The history of silk seems to have started in China between 3000 and 2000 BC.

It is supposed that for almost three thousand years China traded in this precious fabric without ever revealing its

secret before “spies” (like princesses, monks….), robbers, merchants gradually brought it to other civilizations.

O Introduced in Western Europe by the

end of the Middle-Ages the silk

production becomes industrialized as of

the 19th century. Then it plummeted

because of the quick rise in

production in some Asian countries

and the epidemics affecting silk

worms in France.

O It finally became a mainly Asian

production again.

The arrival of silk in Italy and France

O After the Crusades the technique of silk production spread across Western

Europe. The capture of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204 caused the

local mills to close down and from the 13th century Italy developed a domestic

production after bringing in skilled weavers from Constantinople. Some craftsmen also settled in Avignon to

supply the Popes. 

O After Italy lost its trading posts in eastern countries, the weaving industry became more organized to satisfy the

bourgeoisie’s demand for luxury goods. The cities of Lucca, Genoa, Venice and

Florence soon exported to all of Europe. However Italian fabrics were very costly and Italian craftsmen proved unable to

meet the new demands of French fashion, which requested lighter and

cheaper materials for clothing.

O While Italian silk products remained among the most sought-after silks

for a long time –especially for furniture and wall hangings-

production moved over to France over time.

Lyon, European silk capital

O Silk arrived on the banks of the

Saône river during Renaissance with

cloth merchants taking part in fairs.

O With the full support of the king who granted Lyon the monopoly on the import of raw silk in 1540 the

silk industry was immediately successful and became the European silk capital as early as the 16th century. The swift economic growth can be

explained by a favourable economic situation, a plentiful workforce and flexible legislation.

Nevertheless Lyon was only able to manufacture single-coloured cloths during that period of time whereas Italians were the only ones who could

make fancy ones and it was only around 1600 that Lyon could so. At the end of the 16th century

French king Henry IV wished France to produce its own silk thread and encouraged silk farming.

Olivier de Serre:

 

Olivier de Serre was a French self-taught

scientist who introduced pioneering

scientific methods in studying farming

techniques to experiment and improve

them. He is often looked on as the father

of French agronomy. He has a well-known

text on silk published in 1599. This was

to be translated into German and English later.

 

Buying silk fabrics from abroad and

especially Italy was very expensive for

France, so Olivier de Serres ordered many

mulberry trees to be planted (in the south of

Ardèche) and developed silk production on a

large scale. Silk farms (called “magnaneries”)

appeared in the south of France where the

climate was favourable

Royal (silk) millO In 1752 a royal mill located in Aubenas had up to

2000 workers and would prove to be one of the earliest signs of French industrial revolution. The local mulberry trees provided the raw material to this mill which then supplied silk to the Lyon silk

workersO In the 18th century the Lyon silk workers’ reputation

reached European courts including that of Catherine II in Russia and Charles IV in Spain. Sovereigns

turned to them to provide silk clothing for courts or royal furnishings.

O At that time more than half of Lyon’s population earned a living out of silk, making

Lyon the first workers’ city in France.

O Under the Revolution the silk industry logically lost many of its customers but Napoleon supported it strongly, thus

enabling it to fare well throughout the 19th century.

O The invention of synthetic fibres along with increasing levels of mechanization caused

the demise of this industry in Lyon during the first half of the 20th century.

O StaicyO Quentin