Musée de Royan

The Royan Museum is located in the old market of Pontaillac in the heart of a historic district of Royan. Its collections are presented according to a route allowing the discovery of the rich past of the city of Royan.

At the heart of the history of a seaside town,

The building is located in the old market of Pontaillac in the heart of a historic district of Royan.

The Museum proposes to retrace the history of Royan through this common thread according to the following themes:

- From the origins to the Empire:
The origins of Royan, between Gironde and Ocean, from the first human occupations, the emergence of a city from Antiquity, the siege of Royan in 1622 and its first destruction during the Wars of Religion until the Revolution.

- Estuary: dangers and guardian angels
The Cordouan Lighthouse, candidate for UNESCO World Heritage, the oldest lighthouse in France still in operation, the main stages of its construction, its life-saving, prestigious, strategic and touristic role.
The story of the pilots of the Gironde, social elite guiding ships through the dangers of the estuary.

- Sea baths:
The development of seaside tourism in the XNUMXth century. The birth of the seaside resort from its fishing port, the emergence of Royan, "Pearl of the Ocean" which extends from Pontaillac to the Park. Posters, memorabilia and period photographs bear witness to the influence of the city.

- Pablo Picasso's stay in Royan
From 1939 to 1940, around the reproduction of the Café in Royan, presentation of the artist's environment, during the war and the beginnings of the German Occupation.

- The Second World War in Royan
The war years, the Occupation, the Resistance, the "Pocket of Royan", the tragic bombings of 1945 and the Liberation.

- The modern city
The resort at its peak: the dolce vita of the Glorious Thirties. The birth of the International Festival of Contemporary Art and the emergence of a group of regional artists "Expo 5".

-Behind the scenes of the Museum
At the origin of the collections, the Cabinet of Curiosities and the history of the Royan Museum.
Series of rare, unusual or exotic objects...

The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions presented in the central hall of the Museum.

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