THE MUSEUM OF THE ARDENNES

In one of the corners of the superb Place Ducale, discover the Musée de l'Ardenne (^17th to ^20th centuries), one of the jewels in the crown of the city's heritage. Built around a courtyard and garden, this museum brings together the artistic and historical heritage of Charleville and the surrounding region. In a completely renovated and sumptuous setting, this museum of regional identity plays on the alliance of the modern and the ancient. It focuses on the major themes of archaeology, art and history. Over nearly 3,000 m², collections cover the periods of human occupation and creation from Neolithic to Merovingian times. All the city's distinctive features are represented here: the puppet, the superb Corvisart hospital pharmacy featuring 120 earthenware pots, a vast numismatic collection with almost 3,000 of the museum's 30,000 coins on display, a magnificent collection of antique weapons from the Manufacture Royale de Charleville, the reconstruction of an Ardennes interior, paintings by Eugène Damas depicting Ardennes peasant life in the last century; and temporary exhibitions on Ardennes heritage - archaeology, goldsmithing - and contemporary artists.