In Tulle, the City of Accordion and Heritage highlights the know-how of Corrèze

After ten years of reflection and three years of work, the Cité de l’accordéon et des patrimoines opened its doors on April 6 in Tulle, in place of the former branch of the Banque de France. Built in 1876 in the historic heart of the Corrèze prefecture and closed in 2018, the building was purchased the following year by the municipality. On the ground floor, the space that once welcomed customers has been transformed to tell the story of the accordion. “Of the 600 instruments that place our collection as the largest public collection of accordions in Europe, we are exhibiting 84 for an immersive discovery of how they work, their manufacturing secrets, their history and their popularity,” explains Karine Lhomme, director of the Cité. The musical instrument is closely linked to the department. Its famous and century-old Maugein factory remains the last in France to manufacture it in an artisanal manner. But the accordion is not the only wealth of the city. The first floor is entirely devoted to the history of Point de Tulle, made with a needle and attested from the 17th century. Its strictly manual production distinguishes this lace from tulle, a famous light and vaporous fabric produced mechanically and industrially. On the second floor, the cashier’s apartments are now dedicated to the former Tulle weapons factory, the city’s main employer from 1690 to 2006. The tour highlights both the pieces that were produced there and the “manu spirit” that reigned within these walls.