Boulogne-sur-Mer museum and the crypt of the basilica

The Château des comtes de Boulogne

As an extension of the ramparts, the Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer is the centrepiece of the fortress built by Count Philippe Hurepel in 1231. As well as being the first object in the collection, it is also a gateway to the city’s history. The fortifications of the Roman city, on which the monument rests, can still be seen today in the underground passageways.

From one culture to another: collections that embrace the world

The Boulogne-sur-Mer Museum, which was founded in 1825, is the heir to the extraordinary cabinet of curiosities of the natural history painter Isidore Leroy de Barde. Today, the collections feature more than 100,000 objects closely linked to the history of the city, its travellers, scientists and collectors, and their open outlook on the world. From ancient Egypt to Alaska, from pre-Columbian Peru to the English Channel, the works are an invitation to travel from one culture to another.

The Boulogne crypt, one of the largest in France, was built in the 19th century around the remains of a Romanesque crypt discovered during the construction of the basilica. This maze of underground galleries, with walls and vaults completely covered in frescoes, is home to collections of lapidary and sacred art, bearing witness to the medieval church and the cult of Notre-Dame de Boulogne. With its archaeological remains dating back to Roman times, it is also a place to commemorate the city’s 2,000-year history

A collection of sacred art

The collection of sacred art includes statues, paintings, ivories and pieces of liturgical silverware, with some 150 works in the treasure rooms. The collection includes a number of masterpieces, such as the monstrance by Thomas Lissau, executed in the 17th century, the reliquary of the Holy Blood, a masterpiece of enamelled silverware given by Philippe le Bel to Notre-Dame de Boulogne in 1308, and several medieval Virgins and Child.