LOWER RICHARD'S MILL
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A mill allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the life of the master papermakers.
Founded at the end of the 14th century, the mill only ceased to operate between 1938 and 1942, when it was revived by the Association La Feuille Blanche. At Moulin Richard de Bas, visitors are immersed in the life of the master papermakers, watching as rags are transformed before their very eyes into white sheets of paper. No stage is overlooked: sorting and cutting of old cloth, transformation by the mallets into paper pulp, depositing in the vat, working (draining with the form), coating (positioning with the form), pressing, lifting, with spreading taking place in the mill's vast attics. A museum occupies the former sorting room and what used to be the paper-maker's apartment. One room is devoted to the history of paper, from its birth in China to its arrival in France and Ambert in particular, which was very early in this field, with the golden age of Ambert's papermaking industry occurring in the 18th century. A workshop for the general public is held on the same site - during school holidays - where visitors can learn how to make their own sheet of paper. In addition to this itinerary, temporary exhibitions are organized on a regular basis, all of which have earned the Moulin Richard de Bas the "Site d'excellence du tourisme de savoir-faire" label. The site's co-managers have no intention of stopping there, and are considering a future Unesco World Heritage nomination. It would be presented with other mills (from Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic...).
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