Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Historial of the Vendée is a departmental museum designed to trace the history of the territory, from Prehistory to the 21st century. Located in the Lucs-sur-Boulogne, close to the Vendée Memorial, it integrates into a preserved natural setting, the Boulogne Valley. Opened on 26 June 2006 after three years of work (first stone laid on 22 September 2003), he succeeds the former Puy du Fou ecomuseum, from which he recovered and enriched the collections. The project, led by Philippe de Villiers – then Chairman of the General Council (1988-2010) – is inspired by North American museums, with a museography and scenography signed by Christophe Vital.

The museum, owned by the Vendée department and managed by its Museum Conservation, exhibits nearly 3,000 objects among the 20,000 in its collection. Organized in seven thematic spaces over 3,000 m2, it staged 7,000 years of history through ten rooms, supplemented by interactive terminals giving the floor to "great witnesses". Labelled museum of France, it combines pedagogy and innovation, with activities dedicated to schools via the École Départementale des Arts et du Patrimoine.

Historial offers varied cultural programming: conferences, symposia (such as Clemenceau and the arts in 2014, in partnership with the Guimet Museum), and temporary thematic exhibitions. These include Félicie de Fauveau, the sculpture museum (2013, with the Musée d'Orsay), Clemenceau and modern artists (2013-2014, exhibition of national interest), and Soljenitsyne, a giant of freedom (2023-2024). A convention with the Vendée Centre for Historical Research also allows the organisation of academic colloquia, such as the Empreinte de la Guerre de Vendée (2013).

The architecture of the building, designed by the firm Plan 01, aims to symbolize a "history in progress". The central hall, equipped with multimedia devices, embodies this desire to transmit a living memory. The museum maintains links with national institutions (Guimet Museum, CNAM) and local institutions (Wendale Memorial), while building on partnerships for exhibitions such as Île sur canvas, a century of painting in Noirmoutier (planned in 2024-2025).

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