Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The first descriptions of the fossils of the Black Vaches (Villes de Villers-sur-Mer) date back to the 18th century, marking the beginning of scientific interest for this exceptional site. In the 19th century, photographer Ferdinand Postel and his Parisian friend M. Petit-Gillet, passionate about natural history, formed a collection of fossils, left to the city in 1917. This heritage is then enriched in the inter-war period by Mr Queromain, town secretary, in collaboration with the University of Caen, laying the foundations for a systematic study of the site.

From 1950 to the 1990s, paleontologist Michel Rioult (University of Caen) deepens research and initiates measures to protect cliffs. The desire to enhance this heritage led in 2011 to the opening of the Paleospace l-Odyssée, a museum space designed to highlight the cliffs of the Black Vaches, the Marais de Villers-Blonville and the Méridien de Greenwich. The museum, labeled Musée de France, exhibits rare specimens such as the Dubreuillososaurus Valesdunensis, a unique ichthyosaur and a dinosaur nest, as well as ammonites bearing 330 million years of evolution.

The building, integrated into its environment according to the standards HQE (High Environmental Quality), is the work of the agency INCA, specialized in cultural equipment. Designed as an economic and tourist lever, the Paleospace is part of a process of preserving Norman geological sites, while offering a fun and educational experience. Historical collections, combined with modern technologies (3D reproductions of dinosaur skeletons), make it a key place to understand regional and international paleontology.

External links