This museum is ideal for discovering the history of the city of Bourbon l’Archambault between seigniorial possession, development of hydrotherapy and characteristics of rurality in the Bocage Bourbonnais of the 19th century. More than 2000 years of history are recounted through numerous collections, testimonies and models.
Bourbon-l’Archambault: historic heart of Bourbonnais.
Built on the rock that dominates the city, the Château de Bourbon offers striking remains, the splendor and style of which are representative of royal architecture at the end of the 13th century. The first fortified castle of the Lords of Bourbon then became the symbol of their power.
Still considered today as the family home of all the Bourbons, it saw the birth of the youngest Capetian dynasty.
Three sites and several tour options offer you, alone, with family or friends, to explore a page of French history and to discover an emblematic site of Bourbonnais.
Listed as a Historic Monument since 1862
This room, free to access during the opening hours of the Tourist Office, presents the Château de Chantelle as it was in the 15th century. Property of the Bourbons, it was the last resting place of Anne of France. Model made at 1/100 scale by residents of Chantelle. A QR code allows you to discover 8 minutes of history of these places…
Located in 2 buildings of the old interior fortification of the city of Charroux, this museum allows you to travel in time from the Gallo-Roman period to the 20th century. Between objects, sculptures (including the enigmatic Belle Nue Inconnue), instruments, documents, models and staging, Charroux reveals its history of Gallo-Roman castrum, free town, cantonal capital under the Revolution, market town prosperous in the 19th century and today classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Animation :
In May :
* May 17 // Museum Night “From the Franchise Charter to the Return of Prisoners” – Nighttime tour by flashlight – As part of this event, the museum is participating in the national program “La Classe, l’oeuvre” (The Class, the Work) with the Charroux school.
In July :
* During the month of July // Celebration of the centenary of Guy Renne (1925-1990) – Permanent exhibition of Chinese inks dedicated to Charroux.
In September :
* Saturday, September 21 and 22 // European Heritage Days – Celebration of the 780th anniversary of the Charter of Franchises granted in 1245 in Charroux by Archambault IX with a stroll.
Last vestiges of the fortifications erected at the end of the 15th century on the orders of Louis Murderers, gunboats, portcullis passages, mobile bridges, many of the devices are presented during the guided tour of these famous underground galleries. Guided tour of the underground passages and self-guided tour of the Tower.
Located in an old Bourbonnais farmhouse, in the heart of the village of Fleuriel, this unique museum space is dedicated to the relations between the peasant world and the Great War, more particularly in the Bourbonnais territory. The museum presents a permanent interactive tour and temporary exhibitions renewed each year.
A former fortified castle transformed into a prison then a museum, this exceptional building tells us about the history of Gannat and its heritage from Prehistory to the Second World War. Skeleton of the 23 million year old fossil rhinoceros, God with the Gallo-Roman mallet, 9th century gospel, there are numerous pieces that retrace the history of the town of Gannat.
The dungeon of La Toque (MH) is one of the rare military remains of Bourbonnais and is part of a series of dungeons erected mainly to the south of the Loire. It is the best preserved of all. It illustrates the history of the lords of Huriel. Models show the evolution of the town and the Romanesque church.
A stone’s throw from the Anne-de-Beaujeu Museum, stands the keep built around 1400 by Louis II of Bourbon and the remains of the main building from the end of the 15th century commissioned by Peter II, Duke of Bourbon and his wife, Anne, daughter of the King of France, Louis XI. After experiencing the splendor of the ducal court, the keep was transformed into a prison in 1775. It remained in this use until 1983 and experienced the dark hours of the Second World War during which resistance fighters and collaborators succeeded one another in its dungeons. Within a renewed tour, come and discover “An ordinary day at the court of Anne-de-France”, an original digital creation allowing you to discover the daily life of the ducal court at the end of the Middle Ages.
During the guided tour, visitors will discover places usually closed to the public: funeral chapel of the Dukes of Bourbon with its restored paintings (early 15th century), Baroque sacristy with its abundance of sculptures, woodwork and Italianate paintings and discovery of the cloister . The visit continues in the Priory garden and the museum: the old monastic barns now house the lapidary collections and an annual exhibition.