Author

Morgane

Posted on 11 July 2024

Reading time: 3 min

Would you like to recommend to your customers a unique visit to make an impression and introduce them to an emblematic place in the region? La Redoute de Merville, just reopened to the public, is a hidden treasure to offer them.  

What you need to know about La Redoute

Located in the dunes a few steps from the greenway going from the town center of Merville-Franceville-Plage to the Gros Banc Ornithological Reserve, La Redoute will now be an integral part of the cultural life of the town.

Until then, you had to aim correctly to appreciate the place. La Redoute was accessible during the European Heritage Days or during open days and during shows by the Compagnie PMVV Le Grain de Sable.

The site can be visited freely until September 15, from Wednesday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 13:45 p.m. to 18 p.m. for the symbolic sum of €3.

By means of explanatory panels (supported by archive images) formatted by theDigital Public Space, visitors discover 3 thematic rooms : one explains the origin of the building, the other retraces the construction site and the last is devoted to a temporary exhibition which will change each year.

A beautiful visit that highlights a collaborative renovation project and a historic place with a magnificent view!

The restoration site

Redoute de Merville avant chantier
©

The renovations were initiated by the Association for the Defense of the Environment of Merville-Franceville-Plage (ADEMF) in 1984 after a year of sand and brush clearing carried out by the 6e Angers Engineer Regiment.

From 1989 to 2015, these renovations were carried out by young volunteers from all over Europe with the logistical support of the municipality. All this under the watchful eye of Union Rempart, Architects of Buildings of France and the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC). This project was even rewarded by the National Fund for Historic Monuments.

In 2006, the association (which then became ADEPMF) destroyed the installations built during the occupation of the site by the German army during the Second World War in order to restore its original appearance.

In 2015, the site was put into the hands of professionals, the renovations having become more difficult. The work ends in 2022 but electrification concerns delay its opening.