The Museum of Arts and Technology

The Museum of Arts and Technology at Champlitte records French rural life in around 1900. It explores the technical changes that transformed villages and working life at the start of the twentieth century. It pays particular attention to how technologies such as the steam engine, the internal combustion engine and electricity altered traditional ways of working in various trades. Two high-streets are reconstructed, featuring a garage and traditional artisanal shops including a bakery, a cheesemaker, a clog-maker and a shoemaker. The collections feature several steam engines, textile machines, sawmill equipment and a variety of vehicles including early motorbikes and the first car to be used in Champlitte.

The museum was founded by Jean-Christophe Demard, the son of Albert and Félicie Demard, who began collecting items to represent the heritage of rural France in 1952. The family also operates the nearby Rural Museum in Chateau-Lambert and the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions.