Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The ancient shelter of the sailor of the island of Sein, today the Senan Museum, was founded in the early 20th century by Jacques de Thézac. The latter, ethnographer and photographer, created the work of the Marine Shelter to provide a place of reception, meeting and education for Breton fishermen, faced with difficult living conditions and alcoholism. The Sein shelter, inaugurated in 1900, became a model for other similar establishments along the French coast, up to Toulon.

In 1906, facing the crowd, a second building was assistant to the first. It housed playrooms, a workshop for the repair and treatment of sails (preau), as well as accommodation for the guard. The original building was dedicated to the library. The facades, roofs, the meadow, the sail treatment bins and the remains of the boiler were inscribed in the historic monuments on 19 November 2007, thus preserving their architectural authenticity.

Jacques de Thézac, born in 1862 and died in 1939, marked the history of the shelter by his commitment to the sailors. An inscription on the southern door of the building pays tribute to its role as founder. The building, owned by the commune, retains a strong heritage value, illustrating both the functional architecture of the period and a pioneering social initiative.

Located at 34 quai des Paimpolais or 4 avenue Jacques de Thézac on the Île-de-Sein (Finistère), the building bears witness to the Breton maritime life of the early 20th century. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments underlines its importance in local and regional history, while offering today a museum space dedicated to the memory of the Senans.

External links