Valorisation Patrimoine Sud Tarn

The stages of Mazamet's industrial history

 

In the Middle Ages:

Sheep herds from the mountains provide wool. Rivers with strong currents supply the necessary energy for fulling mills. Peasants need supplementary activities to sustain themselves. Spinning and weaving feed the local market of the Hautpoulois.

 

In the 16th century:

A few weavers gradually move away from strictly manual labor and attend major fairs to sell their fabrics. Trade routes also serve as conduits for the exchange of ideas. Merchant-manufacturers in Mazamet embrace Calvinism.

 

In the 18th century:

Despite religious wars, the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and persecutions, this small industrial center thrives due to the quality of work carried out in homes and small workshops. Mazamet remains distant from the major drapery towns of Lower Languedoc.