Musée du Quercorb - reconstitution du château de Puivert

Medieval cuisine and music on the menu of the Quercorb Museum

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Puivert - Aude

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										Cathar country 
										Museums & Collections

The Musée du Quercorb is dedicated to the history and economy of the Quercorb region and is particularly interested in two historical approaches. 
On the one hand, everyday life in Quercorb at the beginning of the 20th century through the reconstruction of a traditional kitchen made surprisingly lively by the use of sound effects.
You will also discover all the workings of the local craft industry through the exact replica of the Nebias forge, an explanation of jet work (jewellery which was very fashionable at the time), a turner's workshop and an evocation of the trade of the painters. 
On the other hand, the museum gives you keys to understanding the troubadours and secular medieval music.
The Instrumentarium room reproduces the musicians' room in the dungeon of Puivert castle.
The casts of the eight sculptures of the musicians allow you to observe them closely.
You will recognize their instruments; extracted from the medieval period, they have found a second life according to the archaeological interpretation of the sculptures and thanks to the skill of the violin makers.
Selected pieces of music from the 14th century will transport you to the court of Gaston Phoebus.
The video "from the stone to the breath of life" retraces the birth of the instrumentarium.
Songs of troubadours by Marcabru or Guiraut Riquier allow you to discover the sounds of the Occitan language.
These songs are calligraphied on goat skins and translated for a better understanding of poetry and courteous love. 
Models of Puivert castle and its keep restore the missing parts of the monument; texts, casts and photographs explain its history and that of the Cathars in Quercorb. 
Finally, the newly refurbished orchard is an invitation to stroll around the old varieties of fruit trees such as the Priests' pears or the Good Christians.
A still and a video about the Quercorb's travelling distiller "Aristide" complete the visit about the picking of the fruits and their transformation into brandy.