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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Joffre Museum in Rivesaltes is housed in the home of Marshal Joseph Joffre, an iconic figure of the First World War. Ranked a historic monument in 1938, this 18th century home houses collections evoking his life, his career and the Battle of the Marne, with personal objects, military memories and archival documents. The museum, inaugurated in 1987, won the label Maison des Illustres from the Ministry of Culture in 2011.

The house, passed on to the heirs of Joffre after his death in 1931, was transferred to the commune of Rivesaltes in 1972. Thanks to donations, such as those of the legatee Jean Griot (further to the Paris office of the Marshal), and the action of General Cortale, the museum enriches with temporary exhibitions, including the Joffromania (2021-2023), a unique collection of patriotic objects. The site also values local heritage, such as the cake Joffre, created in Romania in 1920, or the wine Le Canon du Maréchal, from the old family vineyards.

Organized on three levels, the museum presents on the ground floor the stable and the cooperage workshop of its parents, on the first floor the reconstituted family apartment (with the office and the birth chamber), and in the attic a relief plan of the battle of the Marne. Educational missions, such as the Joffre rally, and cultural partnerships perpetuate its legacy. Since 2015, the Comité Joffre association, recognized in the public interest, has promoted donations and sponsorship to modernize the premises.

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