THE MARITIME MUSEUM OF ROUEN

Situated 100 km from the sea, Rouen is a thriving interior port. Its close proximity to Paris has made it France’s premier port throughout the centuries. Today it is still one of Europe’s most important ports.

The Musée Maritime, Fluvial et Portuaire de Rouen re-traces its history, and that of the River Seine, on a site of huge historical importance; the museum resides in an old hangar previously used for the storage of North African wine.

The museum is situated on the banks of the Seine, in the heart of the port, where liners, cargo-ships, tugboats and barges pass by. Since the conversion of the docklands, the quays have become a popular site for walkers and joggers, widely-appreciated by the people of Rouen. In another way, the museum also offers an excellent view of the construction of the new ultra-modern 6th bridge, which can be raised and lowered, scheduled for completion at the end of 2007.

The Association 

In 1980, Pierre Degon and several friends, influenced by the Editions des Quatre Sergents, had the idea of setting up a maritime museum with the intention of protecting the heritage of the port. Jacques Delecluse, Director of History in the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Rouen, gave his approval to the project.

Thus the Association du Musée Maritime, Fluvial et Portuaire de Rouen was created in 1980 in order to collect, preserve and highlight maritime heritage, especially that of Rouen and Normandy.

In 1989, with the support of the Port Autonome de Rouen, the museum moved into Hangar 13, situated on Quai Emile Duchemin (on the right of the river), which used to be a loading site for Schiaffino Co. After its opening in 1994, the museum was required to install safety measures for its visitors. This project was realised by the volunteers of the association and the restoration site, which has been associated with the museum for several years.

The Musée Maritime de Rouen finally reopened its doors in May 1999, and since May 2001 has followed the set opening hours of other French museums.

In 2002, the museum opened a document centre.

 In 2003, the hold of the barge Pompon-Rouge was converted into another exhibition space, thanks to the support of the Voies Navigables de France. In the same year, the Port Autonome de Rouen approved an extension to the external part of the museum.

In 2004, the association recruited Patrice Mabire, one of the best marine craftsmen in France, in order to restore a number of wooden boats which had been abandoned several years earlier.

The Musée Maritime holds numerous contacts with other museums partly due to the exhibitions and partly because it is a part of the maritime museum network. Thus, every year it takes part in a meeting of French maritime museums, organised under the name of the Musée National de la Marine de Paris. The museum is also a member of the European Maritime Heritage.

A Guide to the Museum

The museum has a permanent display of more than 2,000 objects; boats, scale models, a whale skeleton, engines, tools, instruments and materials,… from the 18th Century to today. The explanatory boards and educational re-creations allow visitors a wider understanding. Translations of the texts are shown in differents languages.

The museum now has an exhibition space of 900m² and an exterior space of the same size.

I- Inside

In 2003, the museum reorganised the collections inside the hangar so as to present the following themes from the end of February 2004 onwards.

Construction and Naval Repairs

In the Middle-Ages, the French King, Philippe le Bel, chose Rouen as the port of the “Clos des Galées” (1284-1418), the first royal arsenal, in order to build war ships. Between 1893 and 1986, the “Chantiers de Normandies” launched 250 warships, of which some are represented here in scale models. Since 1929, the floating docks have repaired ships of all sizes. Ship engines, naval parts, tools for marine craftsmen and engineers call to mind naval construction both in wood and steel.

The History of the Port of Rouen

The port of Rouen has 2,000 years of rich history. The Gallo-Romans constructed the first quays of Rotomagus (Rouen) in the 2nd Century. Later, the Vikings sacked the port several times. Then, under the Dukes of Normandy, the port formed close links with the Scandinavian countries and England. During the Middle-Ages and up until the Renaissance Rouen was the French kingdom’s first port. However, the Seine shallowed in Rouen in the 19th Century. Thankfully, the extensive work completed between 1848 and 1930, allowed a much-needed resurgence in traffic through the port. In 1920, Rouen was France’s main port, thanks largely to the import of British coal. After World War Two, despite the damage already done, the port was burned to the ground. It was only in the 1960s that Rouen once more became one of the major French ports with the import of wine, bananas and coal.

Rouen in the 21st Century

The Port Autonome de Rouen presents a display of their current activities. Today, Rouen is the 5th biggest French port and the biggest European port for the export of cereals.

Working on the Docks

This space reveals the importance of the dredging services, pilots, tugboats and the job of securing and releasing moorings.

Lights and Beacons

Since the 19th Century nocturnal navigation has been made possible with the development of the Fresnel Lens, invented by Augusin Fresnel who was from Normandy. In the museum, there is a collection of items which are used on the coast of Normandy and along the banks of the Seine. The mysterious bell of the River Risle, previously found on the banks of the Seine and recently restored by the museum, still rings, much to the excitement of the visitors.

The bell of the River Risle

Navigation

Navigation has evolved thanks largely to the invention of new instruments for measuring and plotting, many of which can be seen here. There is also a reconstruction of a cabin radio which creates an idea of communication on cargo ships in the 1950s and 1960s.

Whale Hunting

Arranged around an impressive young whale skeleton (13 metres), a display produced by the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle de la Ville de Rouen details the evolution of whale hunting between the Middle-Ages and the 20th Century, as well as the lives of the whale family.

The “Thibault Collection”

Perfectly realised by Mr Thibault, this collection of 230 models (all using 1:500 scale) shows the most famous ships of the 20th Century. Ocean-liners, cargo ships, tugboats, trawlers, warships, barges… of all nations are included.

Rouen’s Sailing Ships

In the museum, the epic nature of Rouen’s sumptuous sailing ships and their sea-voyages between 1890 and 1922 is carefully recreated.The four-masts of the Quevilly, which carried oil from U.S.A to Rouen, and France, can here be seen. Moreover, the five-masted France, the biggest sailing ship in the world, which made the journey through Drake’s Passage (Cape Horn) in order to bring back nickel from New Caledonia (a French island near to Australia).

The Quevilly, the biggest sail tanker

Normandy’s Beaches and Ports in 1944

The American Navy, which made the Normandy Landings on 6th June 1944 possible, can here be seen. The vast size of La Combattante of the French Free Navy (formed by General de Gaulle) is here recreated. This warship participated in the D-Day Landings of the 6th June, and, on the 14th June 1944, returned Général de Gaulle to “Unoccupied Normandy”.

In August 1944, when the German forces abandoned the city, the port was sabotaged and then bombed. When Rouen was liberated nothing was left of France’s first port. A map of the city and previously unseen photos give an idea of the destruction. Since February 1945, traffic in the port has returned thanks to the extraordinary work of divers who have reconstructed the harbour.

Jean Charcot’s Polar Expeditions

Between 1903 and 1936, Jean Charcot became one of the only explorers to travel to both the North and South Poles. For the majority of his expeditions Rouen was the point of departure and arrival. Here, his exploratory voyages are described and his famed vessel the Pourquoi Pas? (Why Not?) is immortalised in a scale model.

The "Pourquoi Pas?"

Drilling and Transporting Oil

Through the use of detailed models and explanatory panels, the museum examines the techniques of searching for oil under the seabed, and the evolution of oil rigs, drilling platforms and oil-carrying cargo ships.

II- Outside

The Barge Pompon-Rouge

In the exterior boat yard, the 38 metre-long barge, the Pompon-Rouge, which has been completely restored by the museum can be explored (hold, cabin and private quarters) and the engine room is also visible from the hold. Moreover, an exhibition about the boats of the Seine can be seen in the hold.

Boats of the Seine

Moreover, one can admire a number of boats, including ferry-boats, tugs, etc., which have all sailed on the Seine.

Reconstructing “La Dauphine” / Verrazano Project

Who was Jehan de Verrazane?

Giovanni da Verrazano (1486-1528) is one of the greatest explorers of the 16th Century, although his name has fallen slightly into insignificance in Normandy it certainly hasn’t in the USA or Canada!

The Florentine navigator settled in Normandy. As proof of his integration, Verrazano changed his name to Jehan de Verrazane. Verrazane was commanded by François the 1st to find a new shipping route leading to the Indies and China (then called Cathay). An expedition was financed by the King (who lent the ships), by rich Italian bankers settled in Lyon and Rouen, by the famous Jean Ango of Dieppe (himself the son of a banker from Rome) and probably by some rich merchants of the city. It was the city of Rouen who organised the exhibition, and to whom all the chartering acts are signed.

In 1524, leaving Normandy aboard La Dauphine, Jehan de Verrazane with his crew from Upper-Normandy, was the first European to reach the north-east coast of America.

On the 15th (or 17th) of April 1524 he discovered the site of the future city of New York, which he named La Nouvelle Angoulême. He followed the American coasts, which he named Arcadie (Arcadia) and Francescane, as well as Rhodes Island.

Jehan de Verrazane later carried out two more exploratory voyages which led him to Brazil and the Caribbean, where he met a tragic end, eaten by cannibals. After his death his brother Jerome (Gerolamo da Verrazano) mapped the results of his exploration.

What is so interesting about this name for Rouen and Rouen’s residents?

The city of New York gratefully gave the name of the explorer to a huge bridge which spans the bay, “Verrazano Narrows Bridge”. By naming the future rising bridge of Rouen “Jehan de Verrazane” we can hope to create tighter links with New York and America.

1- Reconstructing La Dauphine

Jehan de Verrazane discovered the site of New York aboard La Dauphine, a Norman “nef” (a three-masted sailing ship from the Middle Ages) with a tonnage of around 100, built in 1518. No plans for the ship exist. A reconstruction model of La Dauphine has been exhibited in Dieppe, but experts agreed that the model was imperfect. At the initiative of Dr. Jacques Boquet, the Département Historique et Archéologique de l’Association du Musée Maritime, Fluvial et Portuaire de Rouen, and the Association des Maquettistes Navals Rouennais, (Naval Modelling Association of Rouen) worked for many years to redraw plans of La Dauphine. So that they were as close as possible to reality, they studied documents and archives meticulously, analysed sailors’ graffiti and engravings, and the results of recent historical research and archaeological excavations of sailing boats of the same period.

A half-hull followed by the first study model have already been made in 1/50th scale. A model of the framework at the same scale is being made. In a few years we will be able to present complete plans of every part of the ship.

Following the example of the construction of a replica of the frigate Hermione at Rochefort, we can dream of the construction of a replica of La Dauphine (which will be much easier to build than the Hermione). She would be built within a boatyard, under the direction of Patrice Mabire, an experimental marine carpenter, of the Rouen Maritme Museum. The construction would take place over several years to spread out the cost.

2- Voyage to New York

The objective is to set the replica of La Dauphine afloat so that she can arrive in New York for Verrzano Day, celebrated every year on the 17th April; and perhaps in 2024 for the 600th anniversary of the discovery of New York, which will doubtless be an exceptional ceremony.

3- Tourist Asset

Throughout the duration of the construction of La Dauphine, the site will be accessible to visitors of the Rouen Maritime Museum. On returning from America, La Dauphine will stay afloat, in Rouen, and a visit to the boat will be entirely covered by the entrance ticket to the Maritime Museum.

The “Pont Jehan de Verrazane” (Jehan de Verrazane Bridge) and the reconstruction of La Dauphine will lead to Rouen being renowned in the USA, and our town will henceforth be an essential route for the arrival of US citizens into France. Do not forget the additional benefit of receiving luxury cruise liners coming from America wishing to pass under the rising bridge.

Even better, the “nef” will be present at the time of the “Armadas” of Rouen, and as La Dauphine passes beneath the Jehan de Verrazane Bridge in full sail, it will be known as a great moment for the assembly of great sailing ships.

DOCUMENTATION CENTER

A documentation center showing many documents and books about maritime world is open to the public after reservation.

Some are in foreign languages (most english). A collection of photographs and postcards representing ships of all the world from 1880 to 1970 can be seen. There about 30.000 of these documents.

It can be seen also ship plans and Rouen port maps.

OPENING TIME

Monday to Friday (closed Tuesday) : 10:00 to 12:30 & 14:00 to 18:00 (17:00 from 1/11 to 1/03)
Saturday and Sunday :14:00 to 18:00 (17:00 from 1/11 to 1/03)
Closed : Tuesdays - 1st January - 1st May - 24, 25th, and 31st December.

PRICES

Adults : 4.50€
Children under 18 years : 3.5 €
Seniors over 60 years : 4.00€
Family : 13 €
Groups over 10 persons : 3 € /person
Guided tours (only after reservation, for groups) : 4,50 € / person

Musée Maritime, Fluvial et Portuaire de Rouen

Espace des Marégraphes
Hangar portuaire n°13 - Quai Emile Duchemin
76 000 Rouen - FRANCE

Phone : 02-32-10-15-51
Fax : 02-32-08-42-30

Mail us : info@musee-maritime-rouen.asso.fr