{"id":98020,"date":"2026-07-14T16:37:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T14:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/?p=98020"},"modified":"2026-07-20T18:56:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:56:04","slug":"the-shoeing-of-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/faire-ferrer-la-femme-bijoux-savoyards-martinet-centenaire-art-baroque-en-haute-tarentaise-cette-ancienne-forge-cache-trois-musees-en-un\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00abIt was called \u00bbshoeing the woman': Savoyard jewellery, a century-old birch, Baroque art\u2026 In Haute Tarentaise, this old forge hides three museums in one"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>There was a time when mules were shod on one side and hearts of gold were forged on the other. In S\u00e9ez (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hautetarentaise.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haute Tarentaise<\/a>The Espace Saint-\u00c9loi occupies a completely renovated former village forge, now shared between three universes: ironwork, Savoyard jewellery, and Baroque art. A visit that the manager of the premises, Isabelle De Pestel, never fails to make surprising. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>READ OUR SPECIAL REPORT :&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/high-tarentaise\/\">Haute Tarentaise, \u00abthe roof of Savoie\u00bb<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the basement, the forge hearth hasn't moved an inch since the beginning. Here, mules and horses were still shod right up until the 1970s. <em>\u00abTractors, not everyone could afford to buy one, and where we live, it's not very flat.\u00bb <\/em>Remind Isabelle De Pestel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Saint-Eloi Space 5\" class=\"wp-image-98044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-5.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo \u00a9 Romain Boisaubert\/Le Petit Montagnard) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An impressive trip hammer, operated by a paddle wheel \u2013 the same mechanism as those in neighbouring mills \u2013 once struck the red-hot metal there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The blacksmith often wore several hats depending on the season: a farrier for the beasts, a cutler for agricultural tools, a locksmith and wrought iron worker for locks and balconies, not to mention the shoeing of cartwheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u00abTo shod the woman\u00bb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One floor up, the jewellery shop holds the greatest surprise. Over 200 pieces \u2013 crosses, hearts, brooches \u2013 make up a unique collection, gifted by Jean Delavest, a jeweller from Bourg-Saint-Maurice whose son has taken over the shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Saint-Eloi 4 Space\" class=\"wp-image-98045\" srcset=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-4.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo \u00a9 Romain Boisaubert\/Le Petit Montagnard) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reconstructed workshop, dating from the 1870s, reveals the ingenuity of an era without gas or electricity: an acetylene apparatus powered the blowtorches, while a mixture of water and sulphuric acid served as an improvised magnifying glass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>READ MORE: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/bought-for-a-symbolic-franc-how-volunteers-resurrected-this-ruined-mill-that-attracts-thousands-of-visitors-to-the-haute-tarentaise\/\">\u00ab Bought for a symbolic franc \u00bb : how volunteers resurrected this derelict mill that attracts thousands of visitors in Haute Tarentaise.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three techniques coexisted there: shaping, the oldest and most expensive; lost wax, more accessible; and the counterstamp, used in particular for stamping Savoyard heart-shaped amulets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Saint-\u00c9loi Space 3\" class=\"wp-image-98033\" srcset=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo \u00a9 Romain Boisaubert\/Le Petit Montagnard) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the tastiest part remains an expression. <em>\u00abWhen a young man found his fianc\u00e9e, he had to offer her his heart, a cross, earrings, and a ring.\u00bb<\/em> reveals Isabelle De Pestel. <em>\u00abThey called that \u00bbshoeing the wife'.\"<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A nod to the blacksmith next door's trade and perhaps, she adds, <em>\u00abto the most modest lovers, who remade their first trinkets to give them again.\u00bb <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A detour into the Baroque<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Baroque space closes the loop. If the churches in the valley, like the one in S\u00e9ez, enlarged in the 17th century, display such sober fa\u00e7ades, it is a choice. A choice to distinguish the profane from the sacred before crossing a richly sculpted portal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Saint-\u00c9loi Space 3\" class=\"wp-image-98032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo \u00a9 Romain Boisaubert\/Le Petit Montagnard) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A local response to the Council of Trent, which was convened for eighteen years to address Protestant criticisms of the Church. This splendour, financed in particular by tolls from nearby mountain passes and the sale of Beaufort cheese, did not spread much beyond the high valleys: religious decoration on such a grand scale was expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Saint-\u00c9loi Space 3\" class=\"wp-image-98031\" srcset=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Espace-Saint-Eloi-3.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo \u00a9 Romain Boisaubert\/Le Petit Montagnard) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beneath this old forge's framework, the story of S\u00e9ez is thus told in three voices: that of iron, that of gold, and that of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Find out more :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Opening :<\/strong> From 15\/06 to 29\/08\/2026, Monday to Saturday from 2pm to 6pm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heritage Days<\/strong> 19 and 20\/09\/2026, from 3 pm to 6 pm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prices :<\/strong> \u20ac3 (adult), free for under-12s accompanied by a paying adult; groups (20+ people): \u20ac2.50 adults, \u20ac1 for school groups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Payment:<\/strong> Cheque or cash<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Group bookings (+ 20 people):<\/strong> Town hall reception, 04 79 41 00 54 \u2013 <a href=\"mailto:accueilbis@seez.fr\">accueilbis@seez.fr<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contact:<\/strong> 04 79 40 10 38 \u2013 <a href=\"mailto:accueilbis@seez.fr\">accueilbis@seez.fr<\/a> - <a href=\"http:\/\/www.seez.fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.seez.fr<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Equipment<\/strong> Toilets, nearby parking<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There was a time when mules were shod on one side and gold hearts were forged on the other. In S\u00e9ez (Haute Tarentaise), the Espace Saint-\u00c9loi occupies a fully renovated old village forge, now shared between three worlds: ironwork, Savoyard jewellery, and Baroque art. A visit that the manager of<\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":98041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[230],"tags":[327,383,281,572,581,576],"class_list":["post-98020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-culture","tag-alpes-du-nord","tag-bourg-saint-maurice","tag-culture","tag-haute-tarentaise","tag-haute-tarentaise-2026","tag-seez"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98020"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98163,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98020\/revisions\/98163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}