Cultural outings organized by the association
Registration for outings is open approximately 4 weeks in advance.
To register for an outing, simply print out and return the form below the description of each outing, together with a cheque payable to Les Amis des Musées, to the following address:
Association des Amis des Musées Antoine Vivenel
et de la Figurine Historique
2 bis, rue d'Austerlitz
60200 Compiègne
(The various registration forms are in pdf format, which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview)
2024 outings
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
a day at Versailles :
Musical gardens and the Trianon estate
Stroll from the château to the Grand Canal, through the French gardens of the Château de Versailles. From ponds to groves, baroque music (Lully, Rameau, Charpentier...) will be the order of the day.
Guided tour of the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Hameau de la Reine.
The Grand Trianon, or Marble Trianon, was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Louis XIV liked to retreat to this simple yet majestic country palace, to escape the hustle and bustle of the Court.
The Petit Trianon, designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, was intended for the private use of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour. It was offered by Louis XVI to Marie-Antoinette, who made it her favorite residence, modeling it and its garden to her taste.
Le Hameau de la Reine is a group of eleven houses in a rural setting. It was a refuge for Queen Marie-Antoinette, who wished to care for her children here. Napoleon 1st refurbished and restored it for grand parties.
Number of participants limited to 40.
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Know-how and the memory of working-class life
The Maison du Textile in Fresnoy-le-Grand and the Familistère in Guise
The former workshops of "La Filandière" have preserved 28 Jacquard looms, listed as Historic Monuments. A demonstration will be given by a former weaver. You'll also see looms for machine embroidery.
The reconstruction of the interior of a weaver's house will evoke the era of home weaving. A loom that once belonged to the House of Chanel is on display.
Self-guided tour of the site: pleasure gardens, J-B. A. Godin's apartment, theater (subject to change), permanent and temporary exhibitions in the central pavilionto discover the social and economic history of the Familistère or the adventure of an ideal.
Guided tour of the Familistère that Jean-Baptiste A. Godin built for the families of the workers in his stove and stove factory. The Palais Social is a listed building.
Monday, February 5, 2024
Visit to the Prosper Mérimée exhibition at the Château de Compiègne
Under the guidance of Marc Desti, General Curator of Heritage at the Château de Compiègne and curator of the exhibition, you will discover the rich personality of Prosper Mérimée: writer, academician, senator, acquaintance of the imperial court of Napoleon III, but also tireless Inspector General of Historic Monuments.
A pioneer in this field, we owe to him the awareness of the importance of our historical heritage and its preservation.
Portrait by Mathilde Bonaparte (1869) / Drawing by Ferdinand Bac
Archives
2023 outings
Thursday, November 23, 2023
An afternoon at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts and the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française
It was in the royal chateau, built by François 1er, was the site of the 1539 signing of the Villers-Cotterêts decree establishing the use of the French language in legal and administrative documents.
A major restoration project has restored the château to its former glory, and it now houses the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Visit to the Historical Immersion Site (SIH) at the Antoine Vivenel Museum
Presented by Delphine Jeannot, Director of the Museums of Compiègne, this free tour is organized especially for Friends.
The Site d'Immersion Historique (SIH) "Connaître Compiègne!" is a new space devoted to the history of Compiègne and its region, with an introductory film and virtual visits to major sites via interactive stations.
Then, in the museum galleries, Delphine Jeannot will present the latest innovations and projects, including the future room dedicated to Mediterranean archaeology collections (scheduled to open for Nuit des Musées 2024).
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
the Château de La Roche-Guyon and the village of Vétheuil
- Guided tour of the Château de La Roche-Guyon and its park, a certified organic garden and Jardin Remarquable.
Set between the Seine and the limestone cliffs of the Vexin, this château will take you through centuries of history.
From its medieval keep to the German occupation during the Second World War, we'll discover its rich historical past, not forgetting the Potager-Fruitier created in the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment.
- Vétheuil. This small village on the banks of the Seine was a favorite haunt of the Impressionists, including Claude Monet, who lived here and painted many of his works. The American painter Joan Mitchell also lived in the village, hence the exhibition "Monet-Mitchell: dialogue de peintres" recently organized at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
During our walk, we'll visit Notre-Dame church (12th-13th c.), which boasts two remarkable Renaissance portals.
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Montmorency, Enghien-les-Bains, Epinay-sur-Seine
in the footsteps of a philosopher, curists and missionaries..
- Guided tour of the Maison Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Montmorency. This small museum, labeled a Musée de France and Maison des Illustres, has retained the charm of the place where Rousseau lived.
- Autour du lac" guided tour in Enghien. On a walk from the Jardin des Roses to the Villa du Lac, we'll discover the history and architecture of the spa town.
- Guided tour of the Notre-Dame-des-Missions church in Epinay-sur-Seine. Formerly the Missions pavilion at the Paris Colonial Exhibition in 1931, the church in Epinay is considered a masterpiece of early 20th-century sacred art.
Updated March 20, 2024
Association des Amis des Musées
Antoine Vivenel & Figurine Historique
AMAVFH 2010-2024