German destruction 1944 (≈ 1944)
Fire of the Castle of the Citadel.
1963
Reconstruction of the Chartreuse
Reconstruction of the Chartreuse 1963 (≈ 1963)
Preservation of exterior walls only.
1972
Start of the Rabotin collection
Start of the Rabotin collection 1972 (≈ 1972)
Abel Rabotin restores cars and harnesses.
1995
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 1995 (≈ 1995)
Inauguration in the Citadel of Bourg.
1998
Extension of spaces
Extension of spaces 1998 (≈ 1998)
New open reception spaces.
1999
Opening of guard rooms
Opening of guard rooms 1999 (≈ 1999)
Access to 16th century remains.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Abel Rabotin - Collector and restorer
Founded the collection of hippomobile cars.
Gustave Bayol - Sculptor and carpenter
Author of the Blayais carousel.
Jules Sezalory - Bordeaux carrossier
Created an exposed land (1870-1884).
Origin and history
In 1972, Abel Rabotin, passionate about heritage, restored in his property of the Clos des Cèdres in Saint-Seurin-de-Bourg an extensive collection of horse cars, saddles and harnesses. After his death, the commune of Bourg acquired this collection in 1995 with the help of the Regional Fund of Acquisition for Museums. The museum then opened in the Citadelle Park, a historic site marked by a Gallo-Roman villa, a medieval castle, and a chartreuse rebuilt in 1963 after its destruction during the Second World War.
The museum showcases rare pieces such as a phaéton vis-à-vis the late 19th century, a sandland made between 1870 and 1884 by the Bordeaux carrossier Jules Sezalory, or a sulfate machine from the Castaing fils company. A carousel from Blayais, by Gustave Bayol (pionnier de l'art forain), as well as underground remains of the 16th century citadel, including oil tanks from the Second World War, complete the visit. The French gardens and the terrace overlooking the Dordogne recall the strategic importance of this place throughout the centuries.
Listed as the Musée de France, the establishment is part of an architectural setting evoking the stables of Dantan. Since 1998, reception spaces have been expanded to enhance this technical and industrial heritage. The site, linked to local history since Antiquity, also offers access to the 16th-century cavalier underground, witness to the military and civil transformations of Bourg.
