Come visit the family hand-weaving workshop of the renowned master weaver Georges Mattelon, classified as a Historical Monument.
The history of weaving and silk in the Croix-Rousse from 1854 to the present day will be narrated. This is the last family-run silk weaver’s workshop, a remnant of Lyon’s home-based manufacturing industry.
The workshop operated until 1996 and was preserved in its entirety by its owner, master weaver Georges Mattelon, who conducted tours with the help of the Soierie Vivante association until his death in 2004.
His son, Jacques Mattelon, has taken over the workshop, which has been protected by Historical Monuments since 1996. The workshop is of great historical interest, showcasing the evolution of techniques (with a hand-weaving workshop on the second floor and a mechanical workshop on the ground floor) and the silk factories’ activities in the 19th century.
Notably, the workshop is depicted on the Mur des Canuts in the Croix-Rousse and is reproduced in miniature at the Musée Miniature et Cinéma in Vieux-Lyon.
Today, the workshop works closely with the L’Esprit Canut association, and a core group of companions is dedicated to its restoration and operation.