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| Musée de la Campane | |
|---|---|
| Name | Musée de la Campane |
| Native name | Musée de la Campane |
| Established | 19th century |
| Location | Belfort, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France |
| Type | Specialized museum |
| Collection size | Approx. 1,200 bells and related objects |
| Director | Conservateur en chef |
| Website | Official site |
Musée de la Campane is a specialized museum in Belfort, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, dedicated to the history, manufacture, and acoustics of bells, carillons, and campanological instruments. The museum situates its collections within regional traditions associated with Lorraine, Alsace, and Franche-Comté, while connecting to broader European practices in Flanders, Italy, and England. It functions as a center for conservation, technical study, and public engagement with artifacts tied to Notre-Dame de Paris, Chartres Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle, Durham Cathedral, and other major bell-housing sites through comparative displays.
The museum traces origins to 19th-century artisanal collections assembled during industrial changes affecting foundries such as Paccard Foundry, Villedieu-les-Poêles, and Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Its formal foundation reflects municipal initiatives in Belfort parallel to cultural policies in Paris and Strasbourg responding to heritage movements exemplified by figures like Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and institutions like the Musée des Arts et Métiers. The collection expanded through donations from families of bellfounders connected to Meuse and Haute-Saône workshops and via acquisitions linked to restoration projects at Chartres Cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims, and parish churches across Grand Est. Throughout the 20th century the museum engaged with preservation debates influenced by organizations such as ICOM, UNESCO, and the French Ministry of Culture.
The core holdings include historic bells, clappers, yokes, and bell-metal ingots from foundries including Paccard Foundry, Cloche de Villedieu, and the former Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Collections range from medieval examples comparable to bells in Chartres Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral to 19th- and 20th-century productions linked to industrial firms in Belfort and Metz. The museum preserves epigraphic material, inscriptions referencing patrons like Louis XIV, Napoleon III, and ecclesiastical commissioners from Archdiocese of Besançon and Diocese of Saint-Dié. Also displayed are associated liturgical objects tied to Sainte-Chapelle, secular change-ringing equipment akin to sets used at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and documentary archives including ledgers from the Paccard family and correspondence with architects such as Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Jean Nouvel.
Permanent exhibits explain metallurgy, tuning, and acoustics through interactive demonstrations referencing studies associated with Philippe de Vitry-era acoustics and modern work by researchers at École Polytechnique, CNRS, and Université de Franche-Comté. Temporary exhibitions have showcased collaborations with Musée de l'Armée, Musée de Cluny, and international partners such as Victoria and Albert Museum and Rijksmuseum. The on-site restoration workshop follows conservation protocols inspired by ICOMOS charters and practices employed in restorations at Notre-Dame de Paris and Reims Cathedral, including non-invasive cleaning, metallurgical analysis with teams from CNRS, and tensile testing derived from protocols at Institut de Mécanique et d'Ingénierie de Belfort.
Housed in a converted 19th-century industrial building near the Citadel of Belfort designed by Vauban and adjoining municipal archives, the museum occupies a site historically associated with regional foundries and railway links to Besançon-Viotte station and Belfort–Montbéliard TGV station. Architectural interventions by local firms reflect dialogues with conservation projects seen at Musée d'Orsay and Centre Pompidou while maintaining industrial character similar to adaptive reuses in Roubaix and Le Havre. The location fosters connections to regional heritage trails featuring Ballon d'Alsace and the civic monuments of Belfort.
The museum runs school programs aligned with curricula from institutions like Ministry of National Education (France), partnering with conservatories such as Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Belfort and universities including Université de Franche-Comté. Public programs include live recitals by carillonneurs connected to Dijon and Antwerp traditions, workshops on bell casting with master-founders from Paccard Foundry, and lectures by researchers affiliated with CNRS and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Outreach extends to festivals such as Festival de Musique de Besançon and civic commemorations at monuments recalling events like the Siege of Belfort.
The museum is governed by a municipal board with advisory input from experts linked to Institut National du Patrimoine and Direction régionale des affaires culturelles (DRAC) Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Funding combines municipal allocations from Belfort, grants from DRAC, project support from Fondation du Patrimoine, and collaborative funding through European programs such as Creative Europe and partnerships with private benefactors tied to heritage foundations like Fondation Bettencourt Schueller.
Open seasonally with extended hours during cultural events, the museum offers guided tours, accessible facilities, and multilingual materials in collaboration with Office de Tourisme de Belfort. Ticketing includes concessions for students, seniors, and groups; advance booking recommended for access to the restoration workshop and carillon tower demonstrations, which coordinate with logistics at Citadel of Belfort and regional transport via Belfort–Montbéliard TGV station.
Category:Museums in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté