Early Modern · Architecture

Maison des Canuts

Lyon

Maison des Canuts is a museum in Lyon, France, presenting collections related to the canuts, the silk workers of the Croix-Rousse neighborhood. Its displays include functional looms and elements on the history of silk and its industry. Guided tours include demonstrations of weaving on a Jacquard handloom, and the exhibitions trace the history of Lyon silk from 1536 to the present. Visitors also encounter topics such as the origins of silk in China, the life cycle of the silk worm, the meaning of the word canut, the organization and revolts of silk workers, and the manufacture of gold and silver threads and guimperie. Founded by Lyon weaver artisans through the cooperative Cooptiss in 1970, the site was created in response to growing public interest in scientific and industrial heritage.

Map showing the location of Maison des Canuts in Lyon
Location of Maison des Canuts in Lyon

Nearby Objects

Museum of the Canuts in Lyon

Maison des Canuts is a museum located in Lyon, France. It presents collections related to the canuts, the silk workers of the Croix-Rousse neighborhood in Lyon. The museum includes functional looms among its collections, along with elements related to the history of silk and its industry. Its focus connects the local working community with the technical and historical development of silk production.

Origins, Bankruptcy, and Site Management

In 1960, Lyon weaver artisans founded a cooperative named Cooptiss. In 1970, Cooptiss created the Maison des Canuts as a silk promotion site in Lyon. The project responded to growing public interest in scientific and industrial heritage, and its visibility increased after media coverage of the identical reweaving of the King's chamber fabrics at Versailles by Manufacture Prelle and Societe Tassinari et Chatel, two Lyon houses.

The cooperative Cooptiss declared bankruptcy in 1998, followed by the Maison des Canuts in 2003. After this bankruptcy, the site was managed through a public-private partnership. The collection belongs to the city of Lyon, while the walls belong to Societe anonyme de construction de la Ville de Lyon (SACVL). A private company manages the operation of the site. From 2004 to 2009, the priority was to restore the weaving looms to functioning condition, and renovation and expansion works were carried out during the same period.

Guided Tours and Silk Weaving Heritage

La Maison des Canuts offers guided tours that include a demonstration of weaving on a Jacquard handloom. During these visits, the site presents the history of Lyon silk from 1536 to the present. Exhibition rooms trace the origins of silk and its discovery in China, and also show the silk worm life cycle. Visitors are informed about the origin of the word canut, which designates a silk weaver worker, and they can review the organization and revolts of silk weaver workers. The exhibition also covers the manufacturing of gold and silver threads and guimperie, as well as the invention of the Jacquard handloom.