The tour takes in four rooms on the upper floors of the Château, each conceived as a chapter in a grand narrative.
a chapter in a grand narrative.
– The origins: geology and archaeology
The first room immerses visitors in the natural setting of the upper Cher valley.
Rocks, minerals, coal: geological resources explain both the architecture
and future industrial development. More than 200 archaeological objects – tools, ceramics, burials – from recent excavations are on display. An animated mapping model
takes visitors through the major stages in the history of the region, from prehistory to the Middle Ages.
the transformations of the area.
– The birth of the fortified town
The second room tells the story of Montluçon from the Middle Ages to the Revolution. On its rocky promontory, the site became a castrum, followed by a castle and its surrounding walls.
Around it, the town prospered, with houses, places of worship and a strategic bridge over the Cher. An animated model and remarkable objects – sculpted columns, ceramics, primitive artillery – bear witness to this vitality.
artillery – bear witness to this vitality and the ambition of the Dukes of Bourbon.
– The industrial boom
The third room takes visitors back to the 19th century. With the construction of the Canal de Berry
Montluçon became a leading centre for metal and glass production.
Industries and people flocked here, radically changing the face of the town. An animated model and striking archive footage capture this effervescence. A selection of
key industrial objects complete the picture, some of them accessible to the touch.
– A look at the city
Finally, the last room offers a sensory experience: comparing old and new views of Montluçon, taken in the past and today.
of Montluçon, taken from the same angle. It’s a way of measuring at a glance
how much the town has changed over the last century.
OVER 500 OBJECTS ON DISPLAY!
