Maritime, Fluvial and Harbour Museum of Rouen
Encyclopedia
The musée maritime fluvial et portuaire de Rouen is a museum dedicated to the history of the port of Rouen
, which is one the greatest port of France
. The museum opened in 1999, during the Armada.
It is possible to see trawler and barge
motors, a mist bell which was formerly located at the estuary of the Risle
, a scuba set
and the reproduction of the radio
cabin of a ship from the 1960s.
A whale
skeleton
(lent by the museum d'histoire naturelle de Rouen) is exhibited in the centre of the museum. It is a fin whale
which was 7 years old when it died by grounding.
There is also a 38 meter long barge, named Pompon Rouge, which can be visited, its hold has been transformed into an exhibition room about the river navigation, with a lock
model.
Besides this, there are temporary exhibitions about miscellaneous issues, such as the transporter bridge
of Rouen or the Viking
s.
bridge. This hangar was built in 1926, and was named hangar M until 1966 and the creation of the Port autonome de Rouen.
It was let at the disposal of the Schiaffino Company, until the 1970s, which made lines with North Africa
. At first, it was used to store wine
until the building of a wine hangar. Then, it was used more to store fruits.
During the 1970s, the hangar is used by many companies until 1984, where it was desaffected because it was not fitted any more for the harbour.
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, which is one the greatest port of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The museum opened in 1999, during the Armada.
The museum
The main themes are:- the history of the port, with photos, and an exhibition space about the destruction caused by World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- the infrastructures of the port and the works on the Seine to allow it to be navigable for the greatest ships
- the greatest sail ships of Rouen, with an exhibition room about the ships which were to New CaledoniaNew CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
to load nickelNickelNickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile... - the merchant navyMerchant NavyThe Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
, with a lot of models of cargo shipCargo shipA cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
s, a lot of them docked often in front of or in the vicinity of the hangar where the museum is located - riverRiverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
navigationNavigationNavigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks... - shipShipSince the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
building - whaleWhaleWhale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
hunting, with a whale skeleton (see below) - the history of the submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, with a reproduction of the interior of the NautilusNautilusNautilus is the common name of marine creatures of cephalopod family Nautilidae, the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina. It comprises six living species in two genera, the type of which is the genus Nautilus...
from Robert FultonRobert FultonRobert Fulton was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
It is possible to see trawler and barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
motors, a mist bell which was formerly located at the estuary of the Risle
Risle
The Risle is a long river in Normandy, left tributary of the Seine.The river begins in Orne west of L'Aigle, crosses the western part of the department of Eure flowing from south to north and out into the estuary of the Seine on the left bank near Berville-sur-Mer...
, a scuba set
Scuba set
A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving....
and the reproduction of the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
cabin of a ship from the 1960s.
A whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
(lent by the museum d'histoire naturelle de Rouen) is exhibited in the centre of the museum. It is a fin whale
Fin Whale
The fin whale , also called the finback whale, razorback, or common rorqual, is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. It is the second longest whale and the sixth largest living animal after the blue whale, bowhead whale, and right whales, growing to nearly 27 metres long...
which was 7 years old when it died by grounding.
There is also a 38 meter long barge, named Pompon Rouge, which can be visited, its hold has been transformed into an exhibition room about the river navigation, with a lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
model.
Besides this, there are temporary exhibitions about miscellaneous issues, such as the transporter bridge
Transporter bridge
A transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
of Rouen or the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s.
The site
The museum is located in a former hangar of the port, not far from the new Gustave FlaubertGustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert was a French writer who is counted among the greatest Western novelists. He is known especially for his first published novel, Madame Bovary , and for his scrupulous devotion to his art and style.-Early life and education:Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821, in Rouen,...
bridge. This hangar was built in 1926, and was named hangar M until 1966 and the creation of the Port autonome de Rouen.
It was let at the disposal of the Schiaffino Company, until the 1970s, which made lines with North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. At first, it was used to store wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
until the building of a wine hangar. Then, it was used more to store fruits.
During the 1970s, the hangar is used by many companies until 1984, where it was desaffected because it was not fitted any more for the harbour.
External links
- Musée maritime fluvial et portuaire de Rouen Official site.