After two summers marked more or less by the health crisis, Isère finds this summer an identical situation, even slightly better, than in 2019 in terms of tourism. One of the symbols of this revival can be found near the Matheysin plateau and La Motte-d’Aveillans: the small Mine Image museum, which tells the story of the plateau’s mining past, was full in July and has been full overall since. the beginning of the year. Which may sound the end, for him, of not 2 but 11 years of hardship.
The little train that changes everything
At the end of July, the Mine Image had already received 11,000 visitors this year. For comparison, this is approximately the average annual attendance since 2010 and the year promises to exceed the years before 2010 when the facility posted an average attendance of 15,000 visitors. Why 2010? Because it is the date of the collapse which cut off the route of the Petit train de La Mure. Located on the route of the tourist train, Mine Image obviously suffered a serious setback with the stoppage of the line. And it is indeed the return of the little train since the middle of last summer that has allowed it to start again. Before 2010 around 3,000 visitors to the museum came by train. Of the 11,000 already received this year “60% came by train” explains Paolo Fontebasso, the director of Mine Image. A Petit train de La Mure whose season does not start until April. It must be said that the upstream work was well done. “Relations with the train manager (Edeis company) are now much better than before (before 2010 the train was managed by an association) and its stop now located right on the museum site and no longer at the station 300 m away also makes things easier». The method of selling and booking on the internet also played a role. When asked why she also booked the Mine Image, a mother from Grenoble replied: “I didn’t really think about it actually. It was offered to me at the same time as the little train, the site is very well done, it was very well explained and it seemed very fun for the children». The latter actually confess to having been ” very interested” and to have “learned a lot”.
– Laurent Gallien
Sustaining a museum under perfusion for 10 years
“It was very good, very clear and interesting” also says a retiree on holiday with friends in Les Deux Alpes and who came to “the combo” train and museum. Comments that put a delighted smile on the face of Paolo Fontebasso. This Mine Image museum is that of an association of former miners who wanted the memory of this long and rich history not to fade with the end of the mines (in 1996 for the cessation of production , in 2001 for the end of the structure). The return of visitors to a level worthy of before 2010 is a relief. “In 2016 we thought we would shut down in 2017 and then the elected officials came together and helped us so farexplains the director of Mine Image, and indeed it is a relief because we see that it can work and that we can sustain all our jobs in the future”. They are not very numerous but that counts: 8 and a half in high season, 4 in low season. It must be said that tasks, administrative or maintenance, are still carried out by volunteers. “To be completely profitable, says Paolo Fontebasso, it clearly brings us around 25,000 visitors a year”. He may not reach them again this year, but at least he has regained perspective and hope.
For the memory
At a time when the oldest inhabitants of the Matheysin plateau also seem to want to reclaim this story. “It starts yes”explains the director of Mine Image. “It was hard. It’s been 20 years since we stopped, we had to mourn. The mine is 1,000 years of history, 200 years underground. The plateau lived in autarky with the mine. The mine provided everything, work, school, hospitals… So there was a time when the miners didn’t want to hear about it anymore and now we see former miners, finally young former miners, coming with their families and then they are the ones who make the visit, it is no longer us”.