Musée des Mariniers et de la batellerie du Rhône

About the museum

The museum is housed in the former Saint-Sornin church, probably built on the site of a Benedictine priory chapel. The original building is said to date back to the 10th century. From the 12th century onward it served as the parish church of Serrières. The present structure dates mostly from the 14th century. The nave has a chestnut roof frame that resembles an upturned boat hull and was built by shipwrights.

The church lost its status as a parish church in 1804, as it was in poor condition and very exposed to the floods of the Rhône. The nave was listed as a Monument historique in 1932, and the whole building in 1937. It was no longer used for worship in 1935 and then became a museum. In 2009, the centenary of the museum project and the seventieth anniversary of the museum’s presence in the church were celebrated.

The museum tells the story of wooden river navigation on the Rhône: the boat convoys pulled by horses and the lives of the bargemen who lived along the banks of the river. It holds the “Musée de France” label. The church’s ossuary also houses four mummified bodies, called “mandulons”, which have inspired many local legends.

Highlights

• Collections on wooden river navigation on the Rhône and the horse-towed boat convoys
• Former Saint-Sornin church, partly dating from the 14th century
• Nave roof frame shaped like an upturned boat hull
• The four “mandulons”, mummified bodies from the ossuary
• Guided tour of the village every Wednesday in season, starting at the museum

Permanent exhibition

• Collections permanentes du Musée des Mariniers – Route through the former church on wooden river navigation on the Rhône, the horse-towed boat convoys and the life of the bargemen.

Admission & discounts

Admission to the museum is €5. The guided village tour costs €2.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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