Porte oceane du limousin, a land of many skills
At 30km west of Limoges, the abundance of natural resources in the Porte Océance du Limousin has been used by its craftspeople, in some cases for centuries.
. The water courses favoured the emergence of mills, then, progressively, factories, particularly during the industrial revolution. In the land of trees and water, the area also saw the creation and development of the leather, paper, felt, porcelain and cardboard industries.
Porcelain painter's workshop Joseph Goscimski in Saint-Junien
An area rich with craftspeople
Cutting process : glove factory Agnelle
Workshop/shop or business, in the town or in the country, the skills of our craftspeople are spread across the Porte Océane du Limousin. Leather, porcelain, enamel, wood – why not open the door of one of the workshops or factory shops to discover the work of our artisans.
While some activities have been handed down from generation to generation, others have been more recently set up by men and women fulfilling their dreams : Laëtitia Fortin, designer of objects in leather, has set up a workshop at Saint-Junien ; Lewis Barbedor has come back to his home town of Oradour-sur-Glane and opened a company specialised in upholstery and saddles for cars, motorbikes and boats ; Arnaud Réha has also chosen Oradour-sur-Glane to give free rein to his imagination and create unusual sculptures in wood and using everyday kitchen utensils.
Looking to the future, the Porte Océane du Limousin has various initiatives to assist new businesses and in 2017 the business incubator at Saint-Junien assisted Laëtitia Fortin in setting up her business designing leather items.
Looking to the future, the Porte Océane du Limousin has various initiatives to assist new businesses and in 2017 the business incubator at Saint-Junien assisted Laëtitia Fortin in setting up her business designing leather items.
Discover the skills and knowledge of our craftspeople
The festival of leather
In 2013, on the initiative of Saint-Junien and three other towns (Montbron, Nontron, Saint-Yrieix La Perche), the association ‘Portes du Cuir’ was set up. Each year it organises a festival for the leather industry. From the top names in luxury leather goods to the newly set-up artisan, the exhibition attracts a wide range of people involved in the leather sector in Nouvelle Aquitaine. It takes place every year at the end of September in one of the towns in turn. This initiative has the support of the leather businesses and new towns have joined the association. The 2018 exhibition will be held from 28th – 30th September at Thiviers, in the Dordogne..
Guided tours organised by the Tourist Information Centre
Guided tours are organised throughout the year for the glove factory, Ganterie Agnelle, and for the Feutres Depland factory, which makes felts for the machines used in the paper-making industry.
Note: these factory visits are not available on Friday afternoons, weekends, in August, public holidays or during the Christmas holidays
Guided tour of the glove factory Agnelle in Saint-Junien
Felt factory Depland in Saint-Junien
Felt factory Depland in Saint-Junien
A museographic site
The « Cité de Cuir » will open its doors in 2021 in the historic quarters of the leather industry, that is, on the banks of the river Vienne at Saint-Junien. There will be a museum space, an area for temporary exhibitions and workshops, an area for leather professionals and an area with a restaurant and conference rooms. It will be dedicated to the leather industry, and has fantastic views over the river Vienne.