Discovery of the Monoxyle canoe 1862 (≈ 1862)
Object integrated into collections in 2011
16 juin 2007
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 16 juin 2007 (≈ 2007)
Inauguration by the Community of municipalities Bugey Sud
2016
Final closure
Final closure 2016 (≈ 2016)
End of museum activities
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Joseph Tournier - Priest and archaeologist
Prehistoric searches along the Rhône
Pierre Bouttaz - Fisherman and collector
Sea and river fishing equipment
Guy Aïn - Donor of ethnological objects
Daily life and clay work
Origin and history
The Escale Haut-Rhône Museum was a museum located in Brégnier-Cordon, in the department of Ain, at the confluence of the departments of Ain, Isère and Savoie. This 700 m2 site, managed by the Southern Bugey Commune, was entirely dedicated to the Rhône, exploring its historical, ecological and economic dimensions. He offered permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as spaces dedicated to local collections, such as the Lamartine fonds or objects related to the shipbuilding and fishing.
Opened on June 16, 2007, the museum highlighted the relationship between men and the river through models, photographs and thematic panels. It also addressed contemporary issues in the Rhône, drawing on scientific and historical research. The permanent exhibition, entitled The Rhone, his life, his men, traced the evolution of river activities, while spaces such as dressing rooms presented emblematic objects, such as a trailing bin or fossils of Lamartine High School in Belley.
The museum housed several remarkable holdings, including Joseph Tournier's (prehistoric objects from archaeological excavations), Pierre Bouttaz's (collection of fishing equipment) and Guy Ain's (ethnological objects related to clay and daily life). The flagship pieces included a monoxyle canoe discovered in 1862 near the Cordon Bridge, as well as stuffed animals and 19th-century grasslands. These collections reflected the heritage richness of the territory, from prehistory to contemporary times.
Despite its modern equipment and educational vocation, the Escale Haut-Rhône museum closed its doors in 2016. Its innovative approach, combining history, science and foresight, made it a unique place to understand the importance of the Rhône as an axis of communication, commerce and culture, from antiquity to the present environmental challenges.
The museum also highlighted the spiritual and practical role of the river in the life of boatmen and riparian communities. The protection and thanksgiving rites, mentioned in ancient sources, recalled the dangers associated with river and lake navigation, despite an apparent tranquillity in relation to the marine environment. These traditions illustrated the deep and sometimes sacralized relationship between men and the Rhone, a vector of mobility and exchanges for millennia.
