Military archaeology
The Dobrée museum’s military archaeology department is home to more than 2,000 objects.
Weapons and armory pieces come in large part from the collection of Count Raoul de Rochebrune, in Vendée.
Between 1900 and 1924, the collector added to the number of pieces he had inherited from his father, Octave, and developed a passion for locally-made weapons. He bought from merchants in Nantes or Paris, and traded items with them. Rochebrune also kept his ears open about any findings that might have occurred during the dredging of the Loire River. He surrounded himself with a network of scouts – including the guard of the Dobrée museum, who did not hesitate to pit him against the museum’s curator! 800 objects from various origins complete Rochebrune’s legacy.
Today, the Dobrée museum’s collection is the largest in the West of France and features weapons from the five continents, from the Bronze Age to World War I.
Heads of the department:
- Virginie Dupuy, virginie.dupuy@loire-atlantique.fr
