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Key figures

Origin and history

Fort Sarah Bernhardt is a military fort built in 1859 under the Second Empire at the point of the Poulans on the island of Belle-Île-en-Mer (Morbihan). This creneled guard, equipped with machicolis and murderers, was part of the island's coastal defences. A lighthouse was added in 1868. Disused at the end of the 19th century, the fort was put on sale and attracted the attention of Sarah Bernhardt, then at the top of her international glory.

In 1894, the 50-year-old actress bought the fort and undertook major work to transform it into a summer residence. It adds large bay windows, an interior theatrical decor and provides an estate of 46 hectares including villas, gardens and even an exotic menagerie. For 30 years, she spent her summers, surrounded by friends, family and unusual animals, drawing inspiration from this "wild paradise" as she described it. She organises receptions, fishing, bronze and tennis, while fleeing her admirers thanks to a wall of enclosure.

Forced to sell the estate in 1922 due to debts and health problems, Sarah Bernhardt died a year later, without being able to fulfill her vow to be buried in front of the sea. Left behind for decades, the fort was bought by the Coastal Conservatory in the 2000s. Restored, it becomes a museum dedicated to his life and work, rebuilding his universe from photos and family objects. Part of the estate is now occupied by the Belle-Île-en-Mer golf course.

Ranked historic monument in 2000 and labeled Maisons des Illustres in 2011, the museum attracts 25,000 annual visitors. He exhibited costumes, documents and decors of the time, while the citadel of Belle-Île-en-Mer retained other personal objects of the artist, including sculptures and paintings of his hand. The site remains a tribute to this mythical figure of theatre, inseparable from the history of the island.

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