Earthquake evoked 1909 (≈ 1909)
Event marked in the collections.
1949
Museum Foundation
Museum Foundation 1949 (≈ 1949)
Creation thanks to family donations.
1999
Transfer to Suffren Space
Transfer to Suffren Space 1999 (≈ 1999)
New place after the Town Hall.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Bailli de Suffren - Historical military figure
Linked to the frigate and family.
Georges Baussan - Founder of the Friends of Old Saint-Cannat
Dedicated room in the museum.
Yvonne Roubert - High local figure
Room of costumes and objects.
Origin and history
The Suffren Museum and Old Saint-Cannat was founded in 1949 thanks to donations from the Suffren family and one-time acquisitions. Originally located at the Town Hall, the birthplace of the Suffren bailiff, it was transferred in 1999 to the Suffren Space. Its collections cover various fields, such as Gallo-Roman archaeology, 17th and 18th century religious art, decorative arts, and military objects such as weapons and photographs.
The museum houses several thematic rooms, including one dedicated to Georges Baussan, founder of the Friends of Old Saint-Cannat, and another evoking the 1909 earthquake. The Baron de Vitrolles room is dedicated to the bailli of Suffren and his family, with souvenirs of the frigate Suffren, while the Yvonne Roubert room exhibits traditional costumes of Basse-Provence, Arles and Paris, as well as objects related to the church of Notre-Dame-de-Vie.
The collections also include agricultural tools, engravings, ancient books, paintings and musical instruments, reflecting fifteen centuries of local history. The museum, labeled Musée de France, is a testimony of the cultural, religious and military life of Saint-Cannat and its region, from antiquity to the 20th century.
