Musée de la Résistance de Castellane: visiting and what to know

The essentials

The museum of the Resistance in Castellane is a private museum, founded and run by Jean Fighiera, a collector and historian.
Here you'll see authentic objects, documents and photographs, some of them very rare, on the French Resistance.
Several life-size reconstructions evoke clandestine life and the life of the maquis.
The exhibition deliberately avoids unbearable images, to remain accessible to families.
It’s located on the route de Digne (RD 4085) in Castellane (04120), in Haute-Provence — a territory that was a hotbed of Resistance and maquis activity.

What you can see

A wealth of authentic objects, documents and photographs, some extremely rare, bearing witness to the period.
Several life-size reconstructions illustrating clandestine life and the life of the maquis.
A route that deliberately avoids unbearable and overly familiar images, out of respect for the victims and to remain accessible to families.
A library and archive collection, presented as an educational tool, available for consultation by appointment.

The Resistance in the Moyen Verdon

Haute-Provence (the former Basses-Alpes department) was a major hotbed of the Resistance and the maquis during the Second World War.
On 6 June 1944, an ambush by maquisards at the col de Toutes-Aures (between Vergons and Annot, linking the Var and Verdon valleys) struck a German column.
In reprisal, eleven resistance fighters were shot on 11 June 1944 at Saint-Julien-du-Verdon, on the very site of the ambush.
On 9 June 1944, maquisards took control of Saint-André-les-Alpes, in the Castellane area.
The terrain around Castellane, well suited to clandestine activity, made it a stronghold of the Resistance in the Moyen Verdon and neighbouring valleys.

A place of remembrance

The museum is dedicated to those who refused defeat and took up the fight again after General de Gaulle’s appeal.
It grew out of the collection and commitment of its founder, Jean Fighiera, presented as a collector and historian.
An association, « Les Amis du Musée de la Résistance de Castellane » (Friends of the Castellane Resistance Museum), is linked to the museum.
The museum makes its library and archives available, by appointment, as tools for passing on this memory.

Why Castellane

Castellane (04120), the eastern gateway to the Gorges du Verdon, lies in Haute-Provence, an area marked by maquis action in 1944.
The region, well suited to clandestine activity because of its terrain, was a stronghold of the Resistance in the Moyen Verdon and neighbouring valleys.
Locating this museum in Castellane roots the memory of the Resistance in a territory directly involved in the fighting and reprisals of 1944.
The museum stands on the RD 4085 (route de Digne), a route leading towards the Verdon and the Alps.

Getting there & visiting

The museum of the Resistance is located on the route de Digne (RD 4085), in Castellane (04120), in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, at the eastern gateway to the Gorges du Verdon. Castellane is served by the route Napoléon (RD 4085) linking Digne-les-Bains to Grasse and Nice; the museum stands along this route, on the Digne side. The library and archive centre can only be consulted by appointment.

Official museum website (opening hours & prices) ↗

Frequently asked questions

Who runs the museum of the Resistance in Castellane?

It’s a private museum, founded and run by Jean Fighiera, a collector and historian. An association, « Les Amis du Musée de la Résistance de Castellane » (Friends of the Castellane Resistance Museum), is linked to it.

What can you see there?

Numerous authentic objects, documents and photographs, some very rare, along with several life-size reconstructions of clandestine life and the life of the maquis. A library and archive collection can be consulted by appointment.

Is the museum suitable for families?

Yes: out of respect for the victims, the exhibition deliberately avoids unbearable and overly familiar images, making the visit accessible to families.

Where is the museum?

On the route de Digne (RD 4085), in Castellane (04120), in Haute-Provence, at the eastern gateway to the Gorges du Verdon, along the route Napoléon.

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