Musée national de la Marine de Rochefort Museums in Rochefort

The Rochefort National Maritime Museum is a must-see for understanding the city's maritime history and the importance of its arsenal. It is part of the network of national maritime museums in France.

A Witness to Louis XIV's Arsenal

The museum is housed in the Hôtel de Cheusses, one of the oldest civilian buildings in Rochefort, near the Porte du Soleil. It allows the museum to provide a comprehensive overview of the incredible adventure of the great arsenal desired by Louis XIV in the 17th century. Rochefort was a new town, created specifically for the construction and maintenance of warships, and the museum is its main heir.

Collections and Museography

The Rochefort Naval Museum presents rich and varied collections that explore all facets of military shipbuilding :

• Key pieces of the collections, detailed scale models bear witness to the evolution of shipbuilding techniques and the architecture of warships. Some are true works of art, such as the "Dauphin Royal" built in 1751.
• Marine carpenter's tools, navigation instruments and other on-board equipment illustrate the daily life and skills of sailors and builders.
• Marine works of art, busts (such as that of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the minister who founded the arsenal) and ornamental sculptures enrich the visit.
• The museum also explores the urban history of Rochefort and the development of its arsenal, its economic impact (particularly on supplies), and scientific history through the stories of the explorations and explorers who left from this port.

The collections of the Naval Museum in Rochefort focus on the exceptional military history of the town and its arsenal.

A Second Site: The Former Naval Medical School

The National Maritime Museum in Rochefort is not limited to the Hôtel de Cheusses. It also includes the Ancienne École de Médecine Navale, another major historical site. This exceptional site, which was the first naval medical school in the world, can only be visited by guided tour and houses a library and unique collections related to the history of medicine and maritime exploration.