The village of Pozières was the site of the first large-scale operation led by the Australian troops (memorials to the 1^st and 2^nd Australian divisions). The remains of a bunker named the "Gibraltar" can still be seen today. Pozières is also where you can see the monument to tanks decorated with four small tank models.

This village was the obstacle to be overcome to reach first Mouquet Farm and then Thiepval Hill.

This obstacle was largely entrusted to the troops from Australia the majority of which had just returned from Gallipoli. The village was situated on a ridge traversed by a double network of trenches forming the second German line and flanked by two bunkers/observatories overlooking the entire battlefield (Albert side, "Gibraltar" – Bapaume side, "the Windmill").

After arriving on 23 July 1916 and seizing Pozières, the Australian troops, exhausted by constant artillery counter-attacks, were relieved on 5 September by the Canadians at Mouquet Farm. Three of their divisions had passed through the sector of Pozières and suffered losses of more than one-third of the soldiers engaged. The village was completely razed. The name Pozières has such a reputation in the Australian memory that it was bestowed, after the war, on a small village in Queensland (Australia). On 15 September 1916, tanks made their first appearance on a battlefield. Of the 32 British Mark I tanks deployed on the Courcelette-Longueval line, only nine made their targets. Nevertheless, this date marked the start of a more balanced British advancement.

The Battle of Pozières is one of the many Battles of the Somme, an important part of the allied strategy of coordinated attacks: Russia launched the Brusilov Offensive on 4 June and the Italians attacked in Trentini. During the course of 1916, the Front line was situated between the Ancre Valley in Thiepval and Pozières. The British launched the offensive on 1 July 1916; opposite, the German army, forging solidly ahead on the village of Pozières and its windmill, resisted: 60,000 men killed or wounded on the first day of fighting. The Australian forces (1st Division, 22nd Division, 4th Division) took over and succeeded in seizing the position on 23 July. Replaced in September, the Australians lost some 23,000 men.

Somme Tourism Committee

21 rue Ernest-Cauvin 80000 Amiens

Tel: +33 (0) 322 71 22 71

Fax: +33 (0) 322 71 22 69

Email: accueil@somme-tourisme.com

The Somme Tourism Committee is on hand to give you all the information you need on the Somme battlefield and the Circuit du Souvenir visitor's trail: commemorations, getting around, transport, guided tours for individuals or groups, helicopter flights, accommodation and more. The Tourism Committee also publishes a range of brochures on Remembrance Tourism.

La Somme 14-18

The Somme 1916 Museum is located in an old gallery dug in the chalky ground by the Albertines in the 9th century.

These hiding places, or "muches", were designed to escape Norman, and later Spanish, invaders. A few centuries later, Lahyre, one of Joan of Arc’s fellow soldiers, was imprisoned at Albert, called Encre at the time.

During World War I, the town of Albert housed a British garrison. It was the starting point of the offensive against the German lines. One of the most fearsome battles of the war took place in the Somme in 1916, with 58,000 men out of action in one day, on 1 July 1916. The medieval galleries were reoccupied. In 1918, during the last attack to take back the town from the Germans, the British army systematically bombarded the sector, wiping out the town.


In 1939, the municipality of Albert decided to rehabilitate the underground gallery to shelter the civilian population and avoid a massive exodus: seven air raid shelters were built.

At the end of 1991, the “Somme 1916” Shelter Museum project was born. Work on repairing and securing 250 metres of underground galleries took months. The museum opened its doors on 1 July 1992.

The “Somme 1916” Museum presents the life of the soldiers in the trenches during the 1 July 1916 offensive. Some fifteen alcoves and showcases have been set up in a 230-metre underground gallery used as an air raid shelter during World War II. Sound, light and pictures give the visitor a view of these soldiers’ everyday life. There is a shop.


“Somme 1916” Museum

Rue Anicet Godin - 80300 Albert

Tel: 03.22.75.16.17

Fax: 03.22.75.56.33

e-mail : musee@somme1916.org

Somme Tourism Committee

21 rue Ernest-Cauvin - 80000 Amiens

Tél. : +33 (0) 322 71 22 71

FAX : +33 (0) 322 71 22 69

e-mail : accueil@somme-tourisme.com

The Somme Tourism Committee will be happy to provide you with any information you may desire on the Somme Battlefields and the “Circuit du Souvenir” (Remembrance Trail): commemorations, access, transportation, guided tours for groups and individuals, helicopter flyovers, accommodation, etc... The Tourism Committee also publishes a range of brochures on Remembrance Tourism.

Somme Tourism Committee

The Somme 14-18

Somme 1916 Museum

Seizing Delville Wood (also known as Devil Wood) - a battlefield, memorial, museum and cemetery - was a sine-qua-non for troops to move eastward. That was what the South African troops were asked to do. They met their baptism of fire on that western front from 15 to 20 July 1916. The nightmare began when they were cut off from the rearguard and came under fierce artillery fire - as many as 400 shots a minute - with only makeshift shelters for cover. When the time came to relieve them, only 143 of the brigade's 3,200 men emerged from the trenches unscathed. Longueval is also home to New Zealand's memorial. It was on 15 September 1916 that New Zealand's tank-backed division set out from its bases (between Longueval and Fourcaux Wood - or High Wood) towards its objective, Flers, which it reached later that same day. The 47th London division captured High Wood on 15 September.

The South African National Memorial (Mémorial national sud-africain) Delville Wood, where the South African Infantry Brigade fought in July 1916, spans 63 hectares. The South African Government bought it in 1920 to build its National Memorial. The monument was inaugurated in 1926. It stands at the end of an avenue lined by oak trees grown from South African acorns. The memorial, which consists of a cenotaph (empty tomb) and a triumphal arch, was designed by Herbert Baker. The two typically colonial houses, in Baker's words, symbolise South Africa's two white races, and the semi-circular wall represents the bulwark of civilisation. Alfred Turner sculpted the bronze piece surmounting the arch, depicting Kastor and Polydeuces (the Dioscuri in Greek mythology) holding a spirited horse. Kastor and Polydeuces were the sons of Leda and Zeus. The first was mortal, the second immortal. Their relationship was such, however, that, when Kastor died, Polydeuces persuaded Zeus to unite them in eternity. The underlying message is that two completely different people can share the same destiny. This, the sculptor says, mirrors the camaraderie between South Africa's English and Dutch brothers in arms. British and Boer South Africans had been at war with each other only a few years before, but lay down their lives for the British Commonwealth fighting against a common enemy. This monument was inaugurated on 10 October 1926 by the widow of Louis Botha, the president who unified the country after the 1899-1902 Boer War between Dutch and British settlers in South Africa.
The South African National Museum (Musée national sud-africain)
The Museum was built behind the monument and around the Cross of Consecration, and inaugurated in 1986. It is a replica of Cape Fort and commemorates South Africa's contribution to WWI (on Europe's western front and in Germany's African colonies), WWII, the Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) and the Korean War (1950-1953). Useful Information: The South African National Memorial and Museum (Musée et Mémorial national sud-africain) 5, route de Ginchy 80360 Longueval, France Phone +33 (0) 322 850 217 Fax +33 (0) 322 857 999 Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 3.45 pm from 1 February to 10 November, and from 10.00 am to 5.45 pm from 1 April to 14 October. Somme Tourist Board (Comité du Tourisme de la Somme) 21 rue Ernest-Cauvin 80000 Amiens, France Phone +33 (0) 322 712 271 Fax +33 (0) 322 712 269 e-mail: accueil@somme-tourisme.com The Somme Tourist Board will be happy to provide any information you might require about the Somme battlefields and Circuit du Souvenir (remembrance events, directions, transport, private and group tours, helicopter flights, accommodation, etc.). CDT also publishes a series of Memorial Tourism brochures.

Thiepval hill, village and (now disappeared) chateau - along with Hamel - were one of the German defence lines' strongholds north of the British flank in 1916. This natural bastion was protected by the Ancre marshlands below and by numerous deep tunnels underground. The Leipzig Salient - as this mainstay was called - saw the British Forces endure catastrophic losses on 1 July that year: Britain lost 58,000 troops (20,000 of whom died) in what became the biggest tragedy in Great Britain's history - and an event that will always be associated with Thiepval. Fighting for control over Thiepval began on 1 July and ended on 26 September 1916.

The 36th Ulster division controlled the area from the skirts of Thiepval Forest to the village of Hamel. And it was the only division that fulfilled its objectives that 1 July. But those ill-fated soldiers got caught between the advancing British artillery and enemy machine-gun fire when German gun crews emerged from the underground passageways in Souabes redoubt. That division lost more than 5,500 men in a few hours and had to be evacuated the following morning.
Thiepval Visitor Centre opened on 1 July 2004, by the Great War's most emblematic and busiest memorial. The Somme General Council and the Thiepval Project group (which ran a fundraising drive across Great Britain) worked together on this project, which likewise secured European Union funding. This centre counts a number of amenities (an information desk, shop, projection room, vending machines and toilets) and an exhibition area casting light on the Battles of the Somme and on the events that befell Thiepval throughout WWI. There are also displays presenting the CWGC (1), Lutyens, reconstruction work, and the debt of remembrance. Open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm 1 May through 30 November and from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 1 December through 30 April. Closed mid-December through mid-January.
This troubadour-gothic style tower was erected in 1921 following a public fundraising drive. It is the exact replica of the tower on the 36th Ulster Division's training grounds outside Belfast. (The 36th Ulster Division was trapped in German and British crossfire on 1 July 1916). It is Ireland's monument commemorating the Battle of the Somme and a memorial to all the Ulster soldiers killed during the Great War. Visitor facilities on site. In the park, you will find a plaque that the Royal Irish Rangers laid to the memory of the 36th Ulster Division soldiers and to the nine Victoria Crosses. At the back of the park, you will also find a gate leading though to a smaller memorial to the Irish of the Orange Institution, inaugurated in 1994.
Overview You will find a visitor information centre, an audiovisual library, a shop and a cafeteria at Ulster Tower. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10.00 am to 5:00 pm (and 10.00 am to 6.00 pm from 1 May through 30 September).
The British Government decided to erect this Memorial in 1932. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, an architect, in 1923. Its sheer monumental magnitude is the first thing that hits the eye. The great arch towers 45 metres above ground and stands on 16 pillars. It stands to the memory of the 73,367 British who died between July 1915 and March 1918 and have no known grave. Their names are engraved on white Portland stone under laurel wreaths listing the Battles of the Somme. This monument reminds visitors that the French and British armies fought side by side. At the foot of the memorial, facing the valley, you will find the Franco-British cemetery. There, 300 unknown British soldiers and 300 unknown French soldiers are buried as a sign that both countries sustained comparable losses. This cemetery was inaugurated on 31 July 1932 by the Prince of Wales in the presence of then French President Albert Lebrun.
Thiepval Memorial (Mémorial franco-britannique) 80300 Thiepval Phone +33 (0) 322 746 047 Fax +33 (0) 322 746 544 Ulster Tower (La Tour d'Ulster) 80300 Thiepval Phone +33 (0) 322 748 111 Fax +33 (0) 322 748 068 e-mail : sommeassociation@btconnect.com e-mail : teddy.colligan@orange.fr Somme Tourist Board (Comité du Tourisme de la Somme) 21 rue Ernest-Cauvin 80000 Amiens Phone +33 (0) 322 712 271 Fax +33 (0) 322 712 269 e-mail: accueil@somme-tourisme.com The Somme Tourist Board will be happy to provide any information you might require about the Somme battlefields and Circuit du Souvenir (remembrance events, directions, transport, private and group tours, helicopter flights, accommodation, etc.). CDT also publishes a series of Memorial Tourism brochures.
Note: (1) The CWGC is responsible for the upkeep of graves of Commonwealth soldiers in the world.

The city of Castres has dedicated a museum to Jean Jaurès, a native son born in 1859, a champion of socialism and an exceptional orator, a committed pacifist assassinated by Raoul Villain on 31 July 1914 on the eve of World War I.

The Jean Jaurès National Centre and Museum is located in the centre of the city of Castres. This establishment is designed to present Jean Jaurès’ activities and work, while ensuring research work and coordinating events based on the fundamental subjects and ideas of the 19th and 20th centuries.


History

Opened in February 1988 and inaugurated on 16 November of that year by François Mitterand, President of the French Republic, it was founded thanks to the City of Castres, which wanted to showcase the wealth of the Jaurès collections at the museum founded in 1954 to increase understanding of this great thinker, orator, journalist, writer and politician. The effective cooperation of the Société d'Etudes Jaurésiennes, chaired by Mrs Madeleine Rébéroiux, and the precious help of many specialists and historians have made it possible to create a coherent, thorough and modern cultural unit.

 

The collections

The ground floor holds the temporary exhibitions (free admission) on various subjects dealing with the period between 1880 and 1914 (economics, society, everyday life, culture), showcasing regional artists or presenting current issues. There is a rest area, a bar and a counter where visitors can buy postcards, posters and publications about Jean Jaurès.

The first floor houses the museum (paid admission) which gives a chronological and thematic presentation of the great orator’s life:
37 panels, 6 windows and two video terminals showcase various objects and documents. Busts, statuettes, international works on Jean Jaurès, paintings, moulds and workers’ tools are also exhibited.

The second floor has a conference room equipped with audiovisual equipment for projecting films and slides and for organising conferences, debates and seminars (seating capacity: 50 people).

The third floor is dedicated to preservation, consultation, research and documentation: books, reviews, newspapers and archives, which are made available to everyone who wants to use them, notably students, journalists and researchers. The Museum’s library, these works can be consulted on site and are not on loan. Firstly, there is everything written by and about Jean Jaurès and all the texts published when he was alive, but also manuscripts, photographs, a rich iconographic collection and many newspapers and magazines such as “La Dépêche” from 1887 to 1914, “La Petite République” from 1893 to 1903, “La Revue de l'Enseignement Primaire” from 1904 to 1914, etc.

The documentation and research centre has many interesting and rare booklets as well as major collections such as “Le Mouvement Socialiste” (1899-1914), Compère-Morel’s “Encyclopédie Socialiste” (1912-1921), stenographic reports of all the Socialist conferences from 1900 to 1920, essential documents published by the Second International, etc.

Jean Jaurès National Centre and Museum

2 place Pélisson - 81100 CASTRES

Tél. 05 63 62 41 83 - Fax : 05 63 50 39 02

e-mail : jaures@ville-castres.fr

Museum Visitors’ Service

Hôtel de Ville - B.P. 406

81108 CASTRES Cedex

Tél. : 05.63.71.59.28

Fax : 05.63.71.59.26

E-mail : jb.alba@ville-castres.fr

City of Castres

Friends of the museum of Castres

The current Museum of the History of the Town of Saint Malo was created after the Second World War as part of the reconstruction of the historic site of Saint Malo, 80% of which was destroyed in 1944, inside the chateau's Grand-Donjon (Great Dungeon), an imposing horse-shoe shaped tower which was started in 1424 under the orders of Duke Jean V de Bretagne.

This museum's initial purpose was to commemorate the rich maritime past of the famous Breton corsair port, whilst not forgetting to mention the great intellectual figures born there, such as Chateaubriand, Lamennais and Maupertuis. 

In addition, sections specialising in ethnographic matters such as cod-fishing in Newfoundland and the memories of Captains of the Cape Horn long distance race have also been set up, the former being displayed in the tour Générale (General Tower), next to the Grand-Donjon and the latter in the Solidor Tower at Saint-Servan under the name of the International Museum of the Cape Horn long distance race.

The collections relating to cod fishing in Newfoundland are displayed on the ground floor of the tour Générale around a full-size dory with all its equipment. On the next floor, as well as some interesting models of "terre-neuvier" boats, there is a portrayal of life in the Saint-Malo area at the time of the terre-neuvas with a few pieces of furniture (a buffet, chest of drawers and a closet bed) and traditional hairstyles. On the second floor, which is curiously vaulted into a dome, there are, alongside a few older works, some paintings from the first third of the 20th century by Nozal, Signac's "Le Pardon des Terre-Neuvas", Guillaumin's "Saint-Servan" and "la tour Solidor", and works by Friesz and Frank-Will etc. Visitors must not miss the summons of Commandant Charcot (1867-1936), depicted in a portrait by R.-Y. Creston, a large canvas by E. Blandin and the gangway that helped to save the master helmsman of the famous exploration ship, the "Pourquoi-Pas?", when it was shipwrecked.

Amongst the most remarkable exhibits, we must draw attention to an impressive figurehead from the first third of the 19th century representing an unidentified 17th-18th century sailor and a tapestry on a water theme by Gromaire on the first floor. From the former chapel, recognisable from the outside by its small bell tower, the only thing to survive is the painting that adorned its alter-piece before the Revolution: The Lamentation of Christ by Jean-Baptiste Santerre (1651-1717), considered by specialists to be a major example of the artist's religious painting. Articles linked to the religious history of Saint-Malo have also been brought together in this former chapel, including the torchlight procession of the Saint-Malo gunners, said to be by Sainte-Barbe, a portrait of Monsignor Duchesne (1843-1922) by L. Lambert, a bell from 1645, and a sculpted 17th century wooden chandelier. Of note in the display cases are a sketch by the local painter Doutreleau for the large painting - destroyed in 1944 - of the funeral of Chateaubriand in 1848 on the islet of le Grand-Bé, as well as a votive offering from a corsair gunner.

The portrait of Chateaubriand by Girodet, saved in 1944, is displayed on the second floor with another portrait of the young Chateaubriand, wearing a wig, which was painted in the last quarter of the 18th century. But most of this room is devoted to coverage of the commercial war and its most famous local representative, Robert Surcouf (1773-1827) including the painting of the Capturing of the Kent by the Confiance by Garneray (1850). Also of note, a statuette of the P. Santemier, whose juicy story goes that " Surcouf in his role of a chaplain, had his own way of administering the Last Rites"... and a marble bust of Lemennais by Cougny. On the third floor the star of the show is the portrait of Duguay-Trouin (1673-1736) and a large canvas depicting the taking of Rio de Janeiro in 1711 under the orders of this great seafarer, a work by Gudin (1802-1880). We must also point out a globe by Desnos (1768) and two old scale models, one of which is a third rate ship by a Naval petty officer, a very fine polychrome megaphone, an armillary sphere by Delamarche and a portrait of Maupertuis (1698-1759) etc. This section is due to be expanded thanks to the addition of the finds from the underwater excavations. The fourth floor of the donjon, dedicated to Saint-Malo at the time of Duchess Anne and to Jacques Cartier and his voyages of discovery to North America, is currently being refurbished.
 

Museum of the History of the Town and the Pays Malouin

Château - 35400 Saint-Malo

Tel. +33 (0) 2 99 40 71 57

e-mail: musee@ville-saint-malo.fr

Open :

(from the 1st April to 30th September) Every day except the 1st May 10 am - 12.30 pm / 2 pm - 6 pm Low season. Every day except Monday and Bank Holidays 10 am - 12 pm / 2 pm - 6 pm

Rates Single ticket

Adults: 5.40 € Groups of more than 10 adults: 4.50 € Groups holding a "passeport vacances": 4.50 € Groups of more than 100 people (from 15/09 to 30/04): 2.70 € Schoolchildren and students: 2.70 € School groups from the Saint-Malo district: Free Military personnel: Free Group leaders, those registered with the ANPE, or receiving the RMI: Free

Combined ticket

(3 museums - Museums of the Chateau, the Solidor and the 39/45 Memorial) Adults: 12.70 € Groups of more than 10 adults: 9.50 € Groups holding a "passeport vacances": 9,50 € Groups of more than 100 people (from 15/09 to 30/04): 6,30 € Schoolchildren and students: 6,30 € School groups from the Saint-Malo district: Free Military personnel: Free Group leaders, those registered with the ANPE, or receiving the RMI: Free

Close to Ohama Beach, the Ohama Beach Memorial Museum preserves the memory of the day that marked a turning point in the Second World War: D-Day.

Agreed during the Tehran Conference in 1943, the opening of a second front in the west, in addition to the offensive of the Red Army, took shape with the Allied landing in the Normandy beaches between La Madelaine (Manche) and Ouistreham (Calvados).

The assault took place on Tuesday 6 June 1944, at dawn, on five beaches codenamed Utah Beach and Ohama Beach (where the Americans were to land), and Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach (where the English and Canadians were to land).

Following a shelling along the Atlantic Wall, the allied troops landed at around 8 o’clock in the morning. All the beaches were taken in the morning, with the exception of Ohama Beach, taken in the afternoon at the expense of 2,500 lives out of 3,000 men assigned to the operation.

The museum is located 200 metres from Ohama Beach, the site of the most brutal D-Day battles in the landing sector of the US troops, close to St Laurent/Colleville American cemetery. Covering 1,200 m2, the museum presents a collection of military vehicles, arms, uniforms and badges used by the American and German soldiers during the Second World War. It retraces the events and economic life under the German occupation.

A life-size display featuring models in combat situations recounts the landing on Ohama Beach.

Outside, the American army donated a 155-mm "Long Tom" cannon, the only one of its kind in Normandy. An American Sherman tank is also on display in the parking area. Themed displays show a collection of documents relating to the resistance and the deportation.

Musée Mémorial d'Omaha Beach "Les Moulins"

Avenue de la Libération - 14710 Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer

Tél. : (33) 02 31 21 97 44 – Fax : (33) 02 31 92 72 80

Email : contact@musee-memorial-omaha.com

Musée Mémorial d'Omaha Beach

Normandie Mémoire

This heavily-fortified rectangular Citadel is a flagship example of military architecture, and has an extraordinary view of the harbour. The Port-Louis Citadel is now home to the National Maritime Museum, where you will find an excellent collection of model ships, weapons and other historic models. You can also visit the museum dedicated to the history of the Indies Company. In the Arsenal Room, there are displays of superb vintage models, as well as paintings and sculptures depicting French naval history from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. The Powder Keg Room houses a large collection of weapons.

The construction of the Citadel began under the orders of the Spanish engineer Cristobal de Rojas in 1590 at the time of the war of the Catholic Holy League. The Citadel, which was completed during the reign of the French king Louis XIII, is strategically positioned on the southeastern point of the peninsula of Lorient harbour. Apart from serving a defensive role, the Citadel was also inhabited and used for receptions, as well as serving as a refuge or prison (it was a shelter for refractory priests during the French Revolution, refractory conscripts under the Empire, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in 1836, Communards, members of the Resistance and many others).
June 2002 saw the inauguration of various new exhibition rooms dedicated to underwater archaeology, the discovery of new artefacts, and the restoration of these artefacts. The archaeologist Franck Goddio donated over 160 artefacts to the National Maritime Museum, all related to the period of West-East trade between the eleventh and the seventeenth centuries and found in the wrecks of three junks, a galleon and a naval vessel. These artefacts are on display at Port-Louis, along with the remains of the cargo of the Mauritius, a Dutch ship that sank in 1609 (discovered during excavation by the Department of Underwater and Undersea Archaeological Research in 1986) offered by Elf-Gabon and the Gabonese government to the National Maritime Museum. The new 'Ocean Treasures' exhibition was created by the National Maritime Museum in association with the Regional Council of Brittany, the Morbihan Departmental Committee for Tourism and the Pays de Lorient Urban Community.
Tourist Information: 47, grande Rue, 56290 Port-Louis. Telephone: (+33) 2 97 82 52 93 Museum: Telephone: (+33) 2 97 12 10 37/Fax: (+33) 2 97 82 17 28 Closed: the 1st of December - the 1st of January (inclusive). Museum open from the 1st of April to the 30th of September, from 10h-18.30h (except on Tuesdays in April and May, and the 1st of May). From the 1st of October to the 31st of March: From 13.30h-18h (except on Tuesdays).

The Franco-Swiss Museum in Rueil-Malmaison is in the former guardhouse of the Swiss barracks in Rueil-Malmaison. On its two floors it presents the history of this elite regiment that became permanent in 1616. History of the Swiss Guards The place where this brand new Franco-Swiss Museum was created is the most appropriate that could ever be imagined, for not only is it in Rueil which was once one of the most Swiss areas of France, but it is in the very place occupied by the famous regiment of Swiss Guards created by Louis XIII in 1616. For decades the population of Rueil lived in close contact with the Swiss Guards, who became an integral part of their daily lives, to the point of becoming integrated into the families of Rueil. In 1755, Louis XV had a barracks built in Rueil by Charles Axel Guillaumo to house 800 guards from the 2nd battalion of the Swiss Guards regiments, who had formerly lodged with local families. The destruction of the regiment would not mark the definitive end of a Swiss presence in Rueil. Under the Restoration, between 1816 and 1830, the barracks was to welcome back two battalions of Swiss Guards.

The museum Of the three barracks required under Louis XV to house the Swiss Guards, the only one that survives is the one in Rueil. The Courbevoie barracks was destroyed in 1962 and the one in Saint-Denis demolished in 1969. Shortly afterwards, on 28th August 1974, the façades and roofs of the main building and the four houses on the barracks road in Rueil became listed as historic monuments. The museum is in the former guardhouse of this barracks, the only one to survive of the three that were built at the same time. On its two floors it presents the history of this elite regiment that became permanent in 1616.
Franco-Swiss Museum Guardhouse of the Swiss Barracks (Guynemer Barracks) 5, place du général Leclerc 92501 Rueil-Malmaison Tel.: 01.47.32.66.50 Fax: 01.47.32.12.58 Opening Times Every Thursday from 2.30 pm until 6 pm By appointment Closed for annual holidays in July and August Charges Entrance charge: 2 €

Housed in a former school since 1890, the current town museum of Châteaudun was set up in 1864 by the local archaeological society, to conserve local archaeological finds. Over time, the collections have been added to by Egyptian and African objects and, in particular, pieces connected to local history during the Franco-Prussian War.

History of the museum and collections The Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Histoire Naturelle de Châteaudun was founded in 1864 by the Société Dunoise d’Archéologie, with the goal of preserving local heritage. From the beginning, the archaeological society received many donations from scholars, collectors and scientists.

Among them was the archaeologist Émile Amélineau (1850-1915), who discovered the royal tombs of Abydos in Upper Egypt (1st and 2nd Thinite dynasties). Archaeology and Egyptology
therefore form the cornerstones of today’s collections.

During the course of the 20th century, the museum of the Société Dunoise grew, as paintings, art objects and birds were added to its collections. Meanwhile, the town of Châteaudun received donations and bequests, as well as public loans: the Campana collection, 19th-century paintings, etc. The original museum, housed in the town hall, was transferred for a time to the Chateau of Châteaudun. Then, on 19 August 1890, the town council and the Société Dunoise signed an agreement for the museum to be installed in a former school. In 1897, the size of Marquis Léonce de Tarragon’s bequest to the town meant that an extension to the building was required, with a gallery containing 3 000 specimens of birds and mammals, which are still the making of the museum’s natural history collection today.

In 1952, the Société Dunoise d’Archéologie entrusted the collections to the municipality, while maintaining ownership. The museum therefore came under municipal control. Since then, many new acquisitions have added to the collections, not least the Wahl-Offroy donation in 1971, of art objects from the Near and Far East: ceramics, miniatures, weapons, etc. With a room devoted to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and a reproduction of a Beauce interior from the early 20th century, Châteaudun’s town museum presents a diverse selection of objects that show the tastes of collectors and donors past and present.

The Franco-Prussian War room Overlooking Rue Louis Baudet, the museum’s second room commemorates Châteaudun’s resistance when it was besieged by the Prussians in 1870. On 18 October that year, the town was attacked by a 12 000-strong German infantry division. A group of 1500 francs-tireurs from Paris, national guards and firemen put up a brave defence. At their head was the Count of Lipowski, a graduate of Saint-Cyr military academy, decorated with the Légion d’Honneur. After the siege, General Von Wittich’s victorious troops set fire to the town, and its motto became Extincta revivisco, meaning “I am born again from my ashes”.

Paintings, engravings, objects, weapons and headdresses present this dark chapter of local and national history. Moullin’s oils and gouaches and Montarlot’s engravings depicting the barricades complement the series of photographs showing the destruction. The display pays tribute to the key figures of Laurentine Proust, Captain Ledeuil and General Lipowski. In the display cases, military paraphernalia is presented alongside mementos gathered from the rubble of the houses. Finally, at the back of the room is the bell from the town hall belltower, dated 1588, damaged by shellfire.
 

Musée Municipal des Beaux-Arts et d’Histoire Naturelle

3, rue Toufaire - 28200 Châteaudun - Tel.: +33 (0)2 37 45 55 36 Fax: +33 (0)2 37 45 54 46 (town hall – specify “Service Musée”)

Email: musee@mairie-chateaudun.fr

Opening hours:

Open daily (except Tuesdays, 25 December, 1 January and 1 May), 10 am to 12.30 pm
/ 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm, from 1 April to 30 September, and 10 am to 12 noon / 2 pm to 5 pm, from 1 October
to 31 March. Open Monday to Sunday, non-stop from 10 am to 6.30 pm, in July and August.

Group bookings for adults or children can be made on any
day except Tuesday.

Learning materials available on request.

Admission:

Adults: € 3.32 Under 18s: Free Guided tours (for groups of
more than 20 people only): € 2.99 School parties Châteaudun school: Free Others: € 1.29

Cycle of four themed conferences: € 43.85

Combo ticket: Museum and Chateau of Châteadun: € 7

Town of Châteaudun