MUSEUMS 2021 THE GUIDE


From top: Fort des Dunes tells its tales of tragedy in a deeply moving way through interactive displays; learn about the prototype for the EU at the Maison Jean Monnet


exhibitions. But where to start? Fortunately we’ve done the hard work for you. The following is a round-up of France’s lesser- known but still unmissable museums, ranging from a centre dedicated to wet nurses, a comic-book museum, and an underground mushroom farm in the Loire Valley. As Alice in Wonderland famously said: “Curiouser and curiouser.”


Maison Jean Monnet Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, Yvelines It was in this humble farmhouse in April 1950 that French political visionary Jean Monnet met with Europe’s senior politicians to discuss setting up the European Coal and Steel Community, a precursor to the European Union. After Monnet’s death, the house was acquired by the European Parliament and turned into a museum to showcase the life and work of one of the key architects of the EU. “It is here that visitors can immerse themselves in the place


where the idea of a united Europe took its first steps towards reality,” the museum explains. Fascinating stuff. www.jean-monnet-europe.eu/en/ welcome-jean-monnet-house


Fort des Dunes Leffrinckoucke, Nord


This military fort, originally built in the 1870s, played a particularly significant role during Operation Dynamo in the Second World War. Although much of what happened here was tragic, the Fort des Dunes’ history is an intriguing one all the same. During Dunkirk, dozens of French soldiers were killed here in German bombing raids; and towards the end of the war, members of the Resistance were executed here by firing squad. Now the building is dedicated to bringing to life the various key episodes in its history, through video installations and interactive displays. It’s open to visitors during the summer months. fort-des-dunes.fr


Maison des Canuts Lyon, Rhone


The Canuts were Lyon’s silk workers, who plied their trade in the Croix-Rousse district of the city, most famously during the 19th century. Featuring three exhibition rooms and a workshop, this museum celebrates their noble trade, the materials they worked with, and the Canut Revolts that took place in the mid-1800s – all of which helped shape the modern-day city one finds today. In the


museum shop you’ll find a great selection of genuine Lyon-made silk textiles and accesories. Nearby, you can discover Lyon’s famous traboules, the underground passages that the silk-workers once used to transport their wares around the city. Some date all the way back to the 4th century. maisondescanuts.fr


Atelier-Musée du Chapeau Chazelles-sur-Lyon, Loire Mad about hatters? Then you


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Aug/Sep 2021 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 135


IMAGES © FORT DE DUNES, HENRY SALOMÉ – WIKIMEDIA


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