Musée du Charroi rural et de l'Artisanat local traditionnel

About the museum

The museum occupies the church of Saint-Firmin in Salmiech, completed around 1864 but never consecrated, where only two masses were celebrated each year. In 1975, the diocese of Rodez agreed that the commune could use the building for exhibitions, and it became the Musée du Charroi rural, an annex of the Musée du Rouergue. Between 1976 and 1980, Jean Delmas, creator of the “musée éclaté du Rouergue” (the scattered museum of the Rouergue), gathered here the collections on rural carting and traditional local crafts, and the village craftsmen took part in restoring the building. The Friends of the Museum association was founded in 1979.

Major consolidation works took place in 2001 and 2002, and in 2002 the museum received the designation “Musée de France.” On the ground floor, some sixty wheels and around thirty animal-drawn rural vehicles from across the Rouergue show the history and making of the wheel. The mezzanines on the second floor display more than a thousand objects made by craftsmen of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the upper mezzanines house the reserve, with farm tools.

Highlights

• About sixty wheels, from the solid wheel of Montjaux to the Aubrac wheel
• About thirty animal-drawn rural vehicles
• Wheel making and the wheelwright’s trade (charron)
• More than a thousand objects by craftsmen of the late 19th century
• Museum set up in a former church

Permanent exhibitions

• Les roues et le charroi rural – About sixty wheels and some thirty animal-drawn rural vehicles from the Rouergue, with the history and making of the wheel.
• Artisanat local et vie quotidienne – More than a thousand objects by craftsmen, farm tools and everyday objects from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Founded

1975

Admission & discounts

Group visits by reservation.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Stroller access.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly

An age-appropriate treasure hunt for each visitor, plus about thirty teaching sheets for school classes.

Getting there & parking

Salmiech is about 25 km from Rodez; access via the D25.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit