Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Old Parish occupies a 12th century Romanesque priory, the first parish church in Rochefort before the creation of the royal arsenal in 1665. This building, surrounded by a medieval cemetery, was a branch of the Saint-Vivian chapter of Saintes, as evidenced by the sculpted harpsichords discovered in front of its portal, typical of St. It is the oldest building in the city, having survived until the construction of a new Notre Dame church in 1860.

The decommissioning of the church in 1860 served various purposes, including the Labour Exchange (1900–1976). In 1979, the Société de Géographie de Rochefort, founded in 1879, established an archaeological museum there after its restoration. This learned society, heir to a tradition dating back to 1806, exhibits collections from local excavations, covering prehistory, Gallo-Roman era, the Middle Ages and the Modern Age, with emblematic pieces like a Romanesque capital representing the Old Apocalypse.

The church, dedicated to Notre-Dame de la Nativity, was in the 17th century the religious center of Rochefort before Louis XIV founded the arsenal in 1665. Its term, linked to an angeline tradition dating back to the fifth century, reflects its seniority. Today, the museum preserves medieval architectural elements, such as Romanesque windows and sculptures, as well as funeral objects discovered during recent works (2024), although some remains have been destroyed due to the lack of preventive excavations.

The museum's temporary exhibitions explore local themes, such as The Bagne and the arsenal (2021–2022) or The Rochefort Gardens (2023–2024). The Society of Geography publishes its research in the magazine Roccafortis, perpetuating a two centuries-old scientific tradition. The museum remains a key witness to the urban, archaeological and religious history of Rochefort, from the Merovingian period to the contemporary period.

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