Sunny … Village-Troglo

We met the warmth of our first 65 degree day in the Loire with SHEER JOY! Beautiful sunshine brought out the daffodils, bright colored butterflies, and singing birds all day long.

Another adventure! We decided to spend a few hours exploring the Rochemenier Troglodyte Village Museum that showcases and explores how life was lived in these caves in the Loire Valley as recently as 100 years ago. Just outside the Troglodyte Village we found Chapelle sainte Emerance, which is believed to have been built in the 14th century and transformed into a parish church at the end of the 16th century after the destruction of the old church by the Protestants in 1567. Saint Emerance is evoked against both stomachaches and storms.

The Troglodyte villages in this region have existed since the Middle Ages. Peasants hand dug into the sandy falun walls from the 13th to 19th centuries. Living in the caves provided ample shelter, safety for the community (and animals in “barns”!), and also the flexibility to expand as a family grew. They simply dug out a new room and inserted a bed! The museum displayed antique farm tools and equipment used to harvest wheat and make walnut oil, including how the tools were all used. The museum also showed the separate kitchen rooms with ovens, animated displays that encouraged listening, small barns, common community rooms to stay warm in the winter, and an underground chapel situated partially under Chapelle sainte Emerance above ground.

Yes, we will be looking for other adventures nearby that do not involve caves on a sunny day, but this was a Bucket List item. So. Cool.

Chapelle sainte Emerance

Underground chapel

Pitchers used to store hand-crushed walnut oil. The first press was used for food and the second press for machinery.