Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Caphornier Long Course Museum, located in the Solidor Tower in Saint-Malo, was established after World War II through donations, deposits and acquisitions. It evokes the adventure of the Capehorn Seamen, those navigators who, from the seventeenth to the first third of the nineteenth century, sailed Cape Horn to connect Europe with the Americas or Asia. The collections illustrate the routes, shipping companies and regions involved in these long commercial trips, as well as the living conditions on board.

The Solidor Tower, which houses the museum, is part of a fortified complex erected between 1369 and 1382 on the order of Duke John IV of Brittany to control Saint-Malo, then resisting his authority. Originally conceived as a defensive dungeon, it incorporated Gallo-Roman remains and was later transformed into a prison, becoming obsolete with the evolution of military techniques. Today, it houses models, navigational instruments and objects reported by sailors, demonstrating exchanges with Chile, California and New Caledonia.

The museum showcases unique artifacts, such as handcrafted objects made during crossings or distant souvenirs. These pieces tell the challenges of the great sailboats of the 19th and early 20th centuries, carrying nitrate, wood, wheat or nickel through the oceans. The historical precision and richness of the collections make it a key place to understand the golden age of the French merchant navy and its heritage in Brittany.

External links