La Savonnerie Fer à Cheval opens its doors all summer » PACA’s economic and political newsletter
Up to 8 visits per day to the oldest Marseille soap factory still in operation.
It was in the 19th century, in Marseille, that hundreds of small factories made soap, Marseille’s flagship product. For one of them, a particular adventure has begun: The soap factory Horseshoe recognized Living Heritage Company and registered to Historical Monuments.
Today, the oldest soap factory in Marseille and one of the very last in France to perpetuate the artisanal and ancestral manufacture of Marseille soap, opens its doors all summer to the general public. Up to 8 visits to its factory per day, morning and afternoon, Monday to Friday until August 31.
For his 166th birthdayHorseshoe soap factory modernize your visit route for an even more intimate discovery of the manufacture of Marseille soap. Subtle play of lights and projections highlight the heritage of the soap factory by making cauldrons the centerpieces of this new device.
This visit is an opportunity to discover the secrets of real Marseille soap made according to the ancestral recipe. certified by the Edict of Colbert in 1688 and reinforced by Napoleon Bonaparte’s decree of 1812.
Visitors maybe learn the secrets of saponification which always happens in old cauldrons in the traditional way and discover the know-how of the Master Soapmakers who lovingly watches over the mixing of the oils and the cooking of the soap during the 10 days that its manufacture can last. They will also penetrate within the casting workshop where the traditional cube of Marseille soap takes shape, is stamped and cut.
They will also find the latest news from the soap factory in the factory shop which grants visitors a 10% discount on the retail price for the general public.
A leisure activity that will not fail to interest young and old, for all those who will be in the Marseille Region this summer.
HORSESHOE SOAP FACTORY
66, chemin de Sainte-Marthe, 13014 MARSEILLE,
Visits from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., prior registration required.
Duration of visit: 45 mins – Cost: free – Parking: free
More info and registration: https://www.savon-de-marseille.com/fr/content/30-visites-savonnerie-fer-a-cheval
About the Fer à Cheval soap factory: Founded in 1856 in Marseille, Fer à Cheval is the oldest soap factory in Marseille and one of the very last in France to perpetuate the artisanal and ancestral production of Marseille soap. All the know-how of the soap factory rests on the shoulders of its master soap makers who pass on their secrets from generation to generation. Fer à Cheval is a founding member of the UPSM, the Union of Soap Professionals of Marseille, which works for the creation of an IGP, Protected Geographical Indication recognizing ancestral production, and guaranteeing a composition based on exclusively vegetable oils. , without chemical additives, preservatives or perfumes, a production in a cauldron according to the Marseille process, a geographical origin from the Marseille region. Fer à Cheval is also labeled Living Heritage Company and Quality Tourism. More information on the site www.savon-de-marseille.com