European Heritage Days in the Saumur region

In 2026, the European Heritage Days will take place on 19 and 20 September at the Château-Musée. With a focus on contemporary conservation issues, this year’s event invites visitors to take a fresh look at the threats facing our heritage.

This year, the European Heritage Days offer the opportunity to discover three exhibitions:

EMBROIDERED WORLDS – Floating Cities – Universal Forest, by Cécile Palusinski & Elsa Mroziewicz

Committed to addressing ecological emergencies, the augmented sound murals by Cécile Palusinski & Elsa Mroziewicz deploy an immersive and poetic aesthetic, weaving together ancient knowledge, current technologies, scientific data, and multicultural storytelling. Combining contemporary art, craftsmanship, poetry, and digital technology, the exhibition invites visitors to marvel and reflect.

Bitter Luxury – 2001–2026, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Taubira Act

Bitter Luxury is a certified exhibition project that aims to re-examine the collections of the Château-Musée de Saumur – particularly the decorative arts – through the lens of the colonial and slave trade that fuelled the European economy and society in the modern era.

Horse Games & Jousts

The exhibition highlights the diversity and evolution of recreational and sporting activities involving horses. Showcasing the Château-Musée’s equestrian collection, it also presents some thirty works on loan from national and regional institutions such as the Louvre and the Musée de l’Armée.

THE CHÂTEAU-MUSÉE OF SAUMUR

Perched on a rocky outcrop, the former 11th-century count’s keep became a royal fortress in the 13th century and then the sumptuous residence of the Dukes of Anjou in the 14th century. Discover this late medieval princely palace – unique in the Loire Valley – during a self-guided tour of the exterior and interior, featuring its collections of decorative arts and equestrian art.

Free admission. Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September from 10.00 am