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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The museum of the Swiss Guards is housed in the former Guynemer barracks in Rueil-Malmaison (Hauts-de-Seine), built in 1756 by architect Charles Axel Guillaumot. This building, classified as a historic monument since 1974, was part of a set of three identical barracks intended to house the Swiss guards, an elite military corps charged with protecting the king under the Old Regime. The barracks in Rueil housed about 800 men of the second battalion.

The company of the Swiss guards was created in 1616 by Louis XIII, but it was not until 1754 that Louis XV ordered the construction of barracks dedicated to Rueil-Malmaison, Courbevoie and Saint-Denis. The Swiss guards were massacred at the Tuileries on August 10, 1792, defending Louis XVI. The barrack of Rueil, the only surviving of the three, was enlarged in the 19th century and surrounded by new buildings in 1950.

Inaugurated in 1999, the museum presents objects and costumes belonging to the Swiss guards, tracing their history from their creation to their tragic end. It is located near the Guynemer barracks, whose facades and roofs have been protected since 1974. The museum was opened in the presence of the Mayor of Rueil, Jacques Baumel, and the Ambassador of Switzerland to France, Benedict de Tscharner.

The architecture of the barracks follows a standardized model: a central forebody extended by two wings and four pavilions, with a ground floor, two floors and attices. This building illustrates the military organization of the Ancien Régime and the role of Swiss guards in protecting the French monarchy.

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