Maison du seigle

In the last century, rye was the main crop in Morvan because it was the cereal best suited to the mountainous terrain and cold climate. It is also the symbol of the closed and food-producing economy of this 'country'. In the middle of the 19th century, there were between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares of land covered with rye. The highest density is found in the centre and south of the Morvan. The village of Ménessaire is no exception to the rule, and in the past, its southern slope, called "La Couture", was covered with rye fields

The Maison du Seigle presents the history of this ancient agricultural practice which disappeared in the 1950s. You will discover how rye was widely used in many areas of life of the Morvandiaux. Traditional housing was covered with thatched roofs and the Morvandiaux were renowned roofers. Rye straw was also used to make beehives and a whole series of utilitarian objects. Rye straw was also an essential part of the daily diet

The Maison du Seigle is part of the network of the Morvan Ecomuseum, which includes 5 houses (Maison des galvachers in Anost in Saône-et-Loire, Maison Vauban in Saint-Léger Vauban in the Yonne, Maison de l'élevage et du Charolais in Moulins-Engilbert in the Nièvre, Maison des Hommes et des paysages in Saint-Brisson in the Nièvre) and 4 associated sites.