📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Welcome to the land of pink stone Born from the merging of two villages, Saint-Jean Saint-Maurice sur Loire is organized around two lively centers: the medieval village of Saint-Maurice, nestled on a hill overlooking the Loire river and the village of Saint-Jean located on a less steep place. Attached to the richness of their heritage and welcoming a large number of tourists during the summer period, the town wanted to host a group of young international volunteers with the mission of enhancing the Manoir de la Mure (Blackberry Mansion) and the former walkway.
💼 What the programme involves
Located in the former village of Saint Maurice sur Loire, the Manoir de la Mure is a 16th century building partially classified as a historical monument and which has long served as a town hall. The exterior facades have many woodwork that degrade with time: sun, rain, heat shock, etc. In order to protect and nourish them, the volunteers will have the mission to stain them, thus allowing conservation and sustainability. Then, you will have the mission of repairing the dry stone wall on the walkway, following the work performed by the 2020 workcamp. You will be supervised by volunteers and the municipality s technical service. They will be happy to share with you their know-how and the history of this particular place. You will be accommodated in the Saint-Jean town center, a 10-minute walk from the work site. You will work 4 to 5 hours a day.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will be accommodated in tents at the multipurpose hall of Saint-Jean. This building hosts a village hall and a gym. Also, you will have the kitchen and the mezzanine of the village hall to store your personal belongings. You will use the toilets and showers in the gym changing rooms. You will cook collectively and take part in daily tasks (washing-up, cleaning). On Sunday morning, you can go to the market to discover local products.
📍 About the location
Located to the north-west of the Loire department and part of the Massif Central, the village of Saint Jean Saint-Maurice sur Loire has 1,200 inhabitants and offers an exceptional living environment. The merging of two old villages offers the current town an important richness of heritage: the cure, the sundial tower, the fleur-de-lis house, the Ris Serpentin gate, the Saint-Maurice Fortress, the Saint-Maurice church, the Saint-Jean church, the Maison du Tonnelier or the Manoir de la Mure-Chantois. You will get to know these many monuments as a local association will provide a guided tour. You can also stroll through the narrow streets of Saint-Maurice and meet many art craftsmen (jewelry, sculpture). A map of the many hiking trails will also be available to you. You can freely visit an art exhibition called Arts Bis , which brings together contemporary works of paintings, collages, drawings and other artistic creations. Finally, local associations will come to meet you during activities such as an introduction to petanque.
⚠️ Requirements
The work you will do at the Manoir de la Mure will allow you to understand the actions necessary to safeguard built heritage. Then, you will learn how to set up dry stone walls, an old technique which is very present in French rural landscapes. You will also develop soft skills such as your ability to work as a team: listening, adaptability to the environment, responsiveness, rigor, mutual assistance. These capacities will be also strengthened through your group life.