The Château d’Aumont today Château-Musée, it includes various collections: Alaska masks, collection of Egyptian antiquities, objects from Africa and Oceania, Roman and medieval sculptures, Tables by Georges Mathieu. The visitor discovers at the same time the Roman foundations of the castle as well as the Barbière room (vaulted Gothic room of warheads), the Comleté room and the chapel.
The National Center of the Sea,or Nausicaá, is a center of scientific and technical culture devoted to the relationship that man has with the sea. Opened on May 18, 1991, the center is today one of the main tourist sites of France (the first in the department 62 ,and the second north of Paris). Located opposite the fishing port, on the pier, its aquariums totaling more than 17 million liters of seawater house a fauna rich with more than 60,000 marine species from around the world, over 10,000 m2. They are accompanied by exhibitions on maritime fauna, exploitation and management of marine resources (fishing, aquaculture, coastal development, maritime transport, exploitation of mineral and energy resources, tourism, etc.). Its objective is to introduce and love the sea to the general public, while aware of the need for good management of marine resources. A must to visit, me think.
Other things to see are the Palais Imperial, or Hôtel Desandrouin or Androuins built in 1777 for the Viscount François-Joseph-Théodore Desandrouin, he briefly welcomed the first consul then Emperor Napoleon, the Empress Marie-Louise of Austria and the tsar Alexandre Ier , The Fontaine Louis XVI and Pavilion, behind the gayole door: fountain, with the facade of the pavilion which surmounts it and the wall on which it is backed over a length of about 10 meters on each side of the monument, The Casa San Martín, in the city center, house in which the Argentinian liberator resided, General José de San Martín, now a museum in his honor. The equestrian statue of General San Martín, along the beach and inaugurated on October 24, 1909, The commercial port of Boulogne-sur-Mer with 470 berths divided into three basins, the marina of Boulogne can accommodate all the pleasure boats, including the sailboats up to twenty-five meters, The fortified City which fortifications which surround it, and the castle (today museum) constitute one of the best -preserved medieval architectural sets in France. The bases of these ramparts are those of the Gallo-Roman ramparts. The belfry , was at the origin of the dungeon of the first known castle of the counts of Boulogne, late 12C. Its rooms welcome a lapidary museum (Godefroy de Bouillon stained glass, stone and cast iron balls, well … The Notre-Dame de l’Immaculate Basilica It was built between 1827 and 1866 on the site of the cathedral shaved in 1798. Its dome, 101 m high, is seen for miles around. it is made up of 147 kinds of marble and ornamental stones. The Virgin , its walls covered with frescoes (“Grisailles” of the 19C and medieval paintings), its sculptures and its sacred art treasure (including the reliquary of the Holy Blood, offered by Philippe le Bel in 1308).
A bit of history I like tell us that in the Middle Ages, Boulogne is the seat of the county of Boulogne. One of its counts, Eustache II as Grenons (“with beautiful mustaches”), invades England with the Duke of Normandy William. The count is the husband of Saint Ide and the father of Godefroy de Bouillon. Another, Etienne de Blois, is king of England in the 12C .Alphonse de Portugal, husband of the Countess of Boulogne Mathilde II, is king of Portugal. Baudouin de Boulogne, count of Boulogne, brother of Godefroy de Bouillon, is the first Christian king of Jerusalem. In 1477, the victory of King Louis XI over the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold allowed the attachment of the County of Boulogne to the Kingdom of France, it was included until 1789 in the generality of Amiens. Boulogne has been attacked three times by the English since the Enclave de Calais during the first half of the 16C. It was not until the siege led by Henri II in 1549 and 1550 and the Outreau Treaty, signed on March 24, 1550 for the city to become French again. It was around Boulogne that Napoleon I assembled between 1803 and 1805 the army of the coast of the ocean or “Grande Armée”; The second distribution of the Legion of Honor took place at the Boulogne camp, on August 16, 1804. During the Great War or WWI, the city is far enough from the front to be spared the city served as a cantonment of the allies, in particular the British, but also of rest and care zone, It was in Boulogne that the first American troops, led by Gen John Pershing, landed in France in popular jubilation, on June 13, 1917, Two months after their official entry during WWII, the city was besieged in May 1940 by the Nazis to prevent the transit of soldiers and equipment between France and England. Boulogne was liberated between September 17 and 23, 1944 during operation Wellhit by Canadians who surprised the Nazis when arriving at the heart of the citadel by a secret underground , At the end of the war, Boulogne is destroyed to 85% , The City was decorated with the national order of the Legion of Honor on July 10, 1947,
The official Nausicàa : https://www.nausicaa.fr/en
The Château Musée de Boulogne : https://musee.boulogne-sur-mer.fr/
The official Crypt of the Basilica Notre Dame of Boulogne sur Mer: https://crypte.boulogne-sur-mer.fr/
The City of Boulogne sur Mer on its history : https://www.ville-boulogne-sur-mer.fr/decouvrir-et-sortir/decouvrir-boulogne/histoire-de-boulogne
The Boulogne sur Mer tourist office on its heritage : https://www.boulonnaisautop.com/en/discover/history-heritage
There you go folks, another wonderful spot in my road warrior trails of my belle France, This is architecture, history and a lot more ; one of the gems of the Pas de Calais, worth the detour , me think, Again, hope you enjoy this unique post on this is Boulogne sur Mer !!! as I
And remember, happy travels , good health and many cheers to all !!!
I have to say that Boulogne sur Mer is one of my French favourites. Thank you for reminding me.
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Thanks for stopping by. Cheers
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