The Heritage Days lift a corner of the veil on unexpected Angers places and people

The Heritage Days, which take place in Angers on September 14th and 15th, give to visitors, and among them  inhabitants, the opportunity to discover famous places because of their architecture, history or locations. At the same time, others testimonies make the past to resurface and allow to discover some Angevins under a new light.

That is the case in Valdemaine street where an old hats factory welcomes visitors during the event. "I didn't have the slightest idea about what was behind that door", points out an old resident who, nevertheless, walks daily along an anonymous building. "A hats manufacture was set there and produced items for the French and English markets until the end of the 50's". 

Founded in 1760 in Angers, the hat business was during a long time dedicated to men only, British and French. "So English langiuage was commonly used here", recalls one of the hosts. Under large windows similar to those of conservatories, thousands of headgears for men and women, some serious, others imaginative, were assembled there and among them, perhaps the famous bowler hat

But that quiet place also shelters a secret, or at least à discreet society : the Rosicrucianism. Near pictures about the former working place, personal computers, reviews and books display the ideas of that community. A room where Angers Rosicrucians are gathered among their symbols is accessible. Rosicrucianism is said to have been founded in late medieval Germany. It is a philosophical and humanistic fraternal organization devoted to "the study of the elusive mysteries of life and the universe". The Heritage days reveal forgotten places and unexpected people.