REGIONAL CENTRE FOR RESISTANCE & FREEDOM

Housed in the château's former stables, this museum aims to highlight the Thouarsais' acts of resistance in 1939-1945, as they played an active part in the liberation of the département.

Location. Not far from the Château des Ducs de la Trémoïlle, these former stables of the Château de Thouars are part of the town's heritage. Robert de Cotte had them built in 1707. Since then, the building has served a variety of functions. It was restored in 1998 and, since 2001, has housed the Centre régional Résistance & Liberté on the second floor and the municipal art school on the first floor. Don't miss the view over the Thouet valley and the château's allotments from the esplanade.

Museum & exhibitions. Period documentaries provide an insight into this troubled period, as well as offering food for thought on the theme of ideologies. Interactive terminals and audio guides are available to help you. Really interesting.

The permanent exhibition is divided into three sections: reaction, commitment and construction. Original and interactive, it draws on eyewitness accounts, objects, photographs, archive documents and multimedia tools to shed light on the history of the Second World War and, in particular, the Resistance in Poitou and Anjou. Visitors can learn about the realities of daily life in the occupied zone, and follow individual itineraries as they develop into organized resistance. The underlying questions raised offer a fresh perspective on the history of these resistance fighters. In free consultation, you can access audio documents, videos and numerous multimedia terminals to help you understand the chronology of events. Children and younger visitors will be delighted to be able to manage their own visit and get active! Last but not least, the center offers a contemporary space dedicated to human rights: the violations they suffer.

Throughout the year, temporary exhibitions shed further light on this history.

On the website, a wide range of resources are available and easily accessible, including thematic fact sheets on Cold War figures, Resistance figures, the Occupation and the Resistance, glossaries, archives, personal accounts and maps...