DUCAL MUSEUM

The richness of the museum's collections and the charm of its listed buildings (^17th and ^18th centuries) appeal to visitors. Three sections, spread over more than 1,000 m², offer a panorama of Bouillon's rich history, from the Middle Ages to the present day. In the "History" section, the past reveals its many facets linked to the Age of Enlightenment, with the relief plan of the town in 1690, and the books and newspapers printed in Bouillon in the second half of the ^18th century, when encyclopaedist Pierre Rousseau made the town an important press and publishing center in Europe. What sets it apart from other museums are a number of key features. In the "Medieval" section, the Crusades are obviously addressed through Western and Eastern art objects, weapons, furniture and models, Islamic and Byzantine ceramics, some Gothic ivories and pieces of fine goldsmithery. The centerpiece is an early ^14th-century polychrome wooden Madonna. The "Metallurgy" section focuses on the region's industrial heritage, with the presentation of an ^18th-century forge hammer and clouter. In addition, the top floor of the Godefroid de Bouillon section showcases Bouillon ironwork. The tour concludes with works by Ardennes painter Albert Raty, an artist of Bouillon origin. We recommend combining your visit with that of the town's fortified castle and, when it reopens, the Archéoscope Godefroid de Bouillon.