Maritime, Fluvial and Harbour Museum of Rouen

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Maritime, Fluvial and Harbour Museum of Rouen
Musée maritime fluvial et portuaire de Rouen
Established 1999
Location Hangar portuaire n°13, Quai Émile Duchemin, 76000 Rouen, France
Visitor figures about 10,000 per year
Public transit access Nearest bus stop: Mont-Riboudet (T1, T2, T3, 16)
Website www.musee-maritime-rouen.asso.fr

The musée maritime fluvial et portuaire de Rouen is about the history of the port of Rouen , which is one the greatest port of France. The museum opened in 1999, during the Armada.

Contents

[edit] The museum

The main themes are:

  • the history of the port, with photos, and an exhibition space about the destruction caused by World War II
  • the infrastructures of the port and the works on the Seine to allow it to be navigable for the greatest ships
  • the greatest sail ships of Rouen, with an exhibition room about the ships which were to New Caledonia to load nickel
  • the merchant navy, with a lot of models of cargo ships, a lot of them docked often in front of or in the vicinity of the hangar where the museum is located
  • river navigation (see below the presentation of the barge Pompon Rouge)
  • ship building
  • whale hunting, with a whale skeleton (see below)
  • the history of the submarines, with a reproduction of the interior of the Nautilus from Robert Fulton

It is possible to see trawler and barge motors, a mist bell which was formerly located at the estuary of the Risle, a scuba set and the reproduction of the radio cabin of a ship from the 60's.

A whale skeleton (lent by the museum d'histoire naturelle de Rouen) is exhibited in the centre of the museum. It is a fin whale which was 7 years old when it died by grounding.

There is also a 38 meter long barge, named Pompon Rouge, which can be visited, its hold has been transformed into an exhibition room about the river navigation, with a lock model.

Besides this, there are temporary exhibitions about miscellaneous issues, such as the transporter bridge of Rouen or the vikings.

[edit] Pictures

General sight of the museum

The barge Pompon Rouge, transformed into an exhibition space

The hold of the barge, with the permanent exhibition about the river navigation

Sulzer Motor of 400 cv and 28 tons which equipped a trawler (1937)

Model of the Marie-Louise Schiaffino, a ship which docked often in front of the former hangar 13

Model of the Petraia, a ship which docked often at the coal dock, on the opposite side of the Seine

Mist bell, which was formerly located at the estuary of the Risle

Model of the transporter bridge of Rouen

Whale skeleton

Reproduction of the radio cabin of a ship from the 60's

Model of the dreadnought Richelieu

Scuba set

[edit] The site

Hangar 13, where the museum is located
Hangar 13, where the museum is located

The museum is located in a former hangar of the port, not far from the new Gustave Flaubert bridge. This hangar was built in 1926, and was named hangar M until 1966 and the creation of the Port autonome de Rouen.

It was let at the disposal of the Schiaffino Company, until the 70's, which made lines with North Africa. At first, it was used to store wine until the building of a wine hangar. Then, it was used more to store fruits.

During the 70's, the hangar is used by many companies until 1984, where it was desaffected because it was not fitted any more for the harbour.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links