Founded by a significant bequest from a collector in 1875, the museum has been enriched ever since by both donations and voluntary purchases.

The museum is situated in the old presbytery constructed in the19th Century at the base of the bell tower of Notre Dame Church. The current collections include archaeological items of the utmost importance, notably gallo/roman glassware from the 2nd Century AD originating from Cologne, witness to commercial exchanges between Poitou and the Rhineland during antiquity. Furniture of the South Vendée and of d'Aunis tells of the dynamism and imaginative creativity of the furniture makers: cabinets, tallboys, dressers, cupboards… Numerous head-dresses and traditional tools of the bygone trades complete a representation of the Marais Poitevin, a region very close to Fontenay le Comte.

The fine Arts room shows paintings of some 19th Century Vendéen artists: Paul Baudry, Auguste Lepère, Gaston Chaissac, Gabriel Charlopeau…..

The history of the town is also represented: ancient sculptural and architectural remains, a model of the town made by schoolchildren in the 1980s representing Fontenay in 1720, before the wholesale changes of the 18th and19th Centuries.

Themed Summer visits: Discovering the old town: All along the narrow streets of the ancient fortified quarter around Notre Dame church, you will find unexpected treasures -superb dwellings from the Rennaissance or the 18th Century, the ruins of the fortified castle, not forgetting the fountain which gives the town its name. Within the framework of the visits, a themed game (Heritage Workshop) and model-based activities are suggested for children from 6 to 12 years old.

From one bank of the river to the other: Le Faubourg des Loges.
From its origins, the town developed on both sides of the river, astride a road dating from the Gallo/Roman Era: explore this ancient part of the town with its astonishingly varied buildings, the church of St Jean and the network of alleyways which wind through this intriguing quarter

Fontenay Above and Below (churches and their crypts, houses and their cellars)… nocturnal visits!
Make the most of the well-lit streets and illuminated sights of the old town, but explore also some of the ancient cellars existing beneath the houses and discover superbly vaulted secret spaces. Visitor numbers are limited: reservation is advised!

Heritage and Creation
A plastic arts expert will introduce you to and help you explore the dialogue between the monuments of Fontenay le Comte and the work of contemporary artists: there is always more to surprise you

Flying visits each Thursday at 12.15pm. During lunchtimes, a guide will give you all the key information relating to an element of Fontenay's heritage or the museum collection. Guided group visits are possible all year by reservation.

This château, listed as an historic monument, was built in 1580 by Nicolas Rapin, grand prevost of the constabulary of France and "compagnon" to King Henry IV. The celebrated writer Georges Simenon lived here from 1940-1943. Mentioned in the principal tourist guides it is renowned for its Alchemist's chimney, the ceiling caissons of sculpted stone, the panelling which comes from the château of Chambord, the suns gilded with gold leaf from the bedroom of King Louis XIV. You can admire the pictures and furniture collections and superb clothing from the 17th and 18th Centuries.

The château is privately owned and lived in all the year round.
Open from May 1 - September 30: 9am - 12pm and 2pm - 7pm.
Group visits all year by reservation.

In this museographic space, you will discover the history of this mysterious creature over whom a terrible secret hangs. Walk round slowly and quietly. Perhaps you will see, furtively, through the chinks of the walls, the incredible

This lookout tower of Lusignan Castle dates from 1242. According to legend, it was built by the fairy Mélusine. See two vaulted and domed rooms and a superb view over the mountain forest of Mervent/Vouvant and the fortified walls of the medieval town.

Come and discover by way of this eco-museum the mountain forest of Mervent-Vouvant: its history, its principal sites, its flora, its fauna and the handiwork of Man from ancient times up to the present day.
For groups: accompanied visits of the forest and the sawmill either on foot or by tourist coach. Educational programme for schoolchildren. All year by reservation.