Who are we ?
The Medieval and Popular Academy of Termes, created in 2012, is the result of the merger of two associations: The Friends of the Tour de Termes and the Lions of Termes. With a cultural and socio-educational vocation, the association aims to:
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The artistic and cultural animation of the medieval sites of Termes d'Armagnac, the Tower and the castle motte of Monterran, designed as a tool for promoting and safeguarding medieval and Occitan heritage. But also participation in multi-period public events on other sites. This takes the form of medieval workshops around crafts, theater, dance, and larger events including medieval festivals.
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To bring together around the two historic sites of Termes, the greatest number of different people wishing to be part of a process of transmitting knowledge and know-how of medieval arts including crafts, culture and history of Late Middle Ages.
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To anchor itself in the territory and participate in its influence as one of the three major heritage sites of the tourist country of Pays Val d’Adour. The association multiplies partnerships with public authorities and also private individuals including cultural associations, local artisans and traders, with the aim of respectively proposing a common and advantageous offer, and of defending the territory and its emblematic products.
All activities are based on the principles, philosophy and methods of Popular Education, around the values of accessibility, sharing and tolerance.
Development projects
Each of the projects is developed on the principle of accessibility to all audiences as well as the desire to present the different aspects of medieval culture and arouse curiosity about this heritage.
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The museography of the dungeon
The objective of the reconstruction part is to recreate everyday objects and bring the dungeon rooms back to life. With a view to transmitting the know-how of medieval arts, the reconstruction part of the museum is also supplied by objects created using traditional techniques by the association or the craftsmen running the site, such as cupboard fittings, pottery, costumes or certain pieces of armor.
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The establishment of a medieval equestrian jousting stadium
Through this space, the association wishes to place the horse at the heart of its development project. An opportunity to develop archaeological experimentation around medieval equestrian equipment (farriery), the stadium is part of the promotion of this heritage and the transmission of ancestral know-how linked to horses.
It would also be a place dedicated to artistic development for local actors, a stage for local artists offering all types of events for all audiences.
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The creation of an artisan village in the shaded park of the Tower
The association is working towards the emergence of a true village of artisans working using medieval techniques; all based on serious historical research work consistent with the medieval period of the Château de Termes. Metallurgy was chosen as a starting point with the creation of a blacksmithing workshop started in 2019. This new course must be able to offer activities for all audiences, from discovery courses to training, and also to supply the collections of the museum through its productions. The village will thus allow the multiplication of activities and will complete the permanent offer of the site during school holidays.
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The development of a medieval garden near the Saint-Pierre church
The garden holds an important place in the medieval world. Indispensable for medicine and nutrition, it is also a place of meditation and walks in religious and seigniorial spaces. The medieval garden project is the subject of real long-term thinking. In connection with current issues, the project aims to offer local production following medieval techniques, promoting the many forgotten plants of this period. This will also make it possible to reconstruct life at the time of the castle's heyday in the most complete and faithful way possible.
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Safeguarding the Monterran castle mound
Typical construction of the feudal system, the castle mound, ancestor of fortified castles, is an artificial or semi-artificial mound of earth on which a keep rests, in most cases made of wood. This termois heritage is made up of a double mound of very imposing dimensions compared to other examples that have come down to us. This is partly explained by the rare fact that the stone Saint-Barthélemy church alone occupies the smaller of the two mottes. In charge of this exceptional site, the association must safeguard it and raise awareness of this type of construction, which is still very little known to the general public. With this in mind, students from the Riscle agricultural high school are coming in March 2021 to clear the castle mound in order to enhance it and create an educational trail on the PR1 hiking trail.
Some numbers
The Tour de Terms is:
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nearly 8,000 visitors per year
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4000 people welcomed at all events
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115 members, including 45 active members
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2 full-time employees
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4 volunteers in civic service
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1 theater section
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1 historical reconstruction section (specializing in crafts from the medieval period)
Virtually
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more than 520,000 pages viewed on the website per year
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3,062 likes on Facebook
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1,132 subscribers on Instagram
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448 followers on Twitter
