Exhibition: When the Navy was at its height: imagining the town of Rochefort (1666–1785)

Founded in 1666 by Louis XIV in a natural environment as delicate as it was hostile, the Rochefort arsenal immediately began to develop an extraordinary architectural complex along the river. To support it, a new town with a regular layout took shape a little later, in the background. The result of a compromise between engineers, architects and the king’s senior officials, it stands as the first French example of an arsenal town.

This vast royal project did not escape the keen eye of the engineer Claude Masse (1652–1737), commissioned by the king to survey and map the coastline. He took the opportunity to write his Mémoires, in which he shared, in particular, his impressions of the nascent arsenal town and the difficulties surrounding its creation.

Then, about a century later, whilst the arsenal was in full swing to support the American War of Independence, the engineer Pierre Toufaire (1739–1794), a great visionary in the service of the State, proposed ambitious plans to restructure Rochefort, which could have made the town one of the most beautiful places in France, but which the Revolution brought to an abrupt halt.

Drawing on exceptional graphic documents from the archives of the Defence Historical Service (Vincennes and Rochefort sites), and using interactive interpretative tools, this exhibition invites you to discover the unique history of a town that seems forever marked by the genius of its engineers and their creative spirit.

Extend your visit by exploring the exhibition organised by the Rochefort Defence Historical Service (from 8 April to 27 September): ‘When the Navy was at its zenith: the founding of the Rochefort Arsenal (1666–1785)’.

Show less