Discover all the iconic species on display at the Besançon Citadel Museum.
An unusual museum
Guardian of biodiversity
Unexpected in this extraordinary location, the Besançon Museum occupies a prominent place within the Citadel.
From natural history collections to the many living species on display, here is an overview of this unusual establishment dedicated to understanding animal and plant biodiversity and its evolution.
Understanding biodiversity
Research and dissemination of knowledge, conservation of collections, promotion of scientific and natural heritage, conservation of species and their habitats, education, research, animal welfare... the missions of the Besançon Museum are numerous and diverse, to say the least! And with good reason, as it is structured around two complementary areas that will give you a better understanding of biodiversity, its richness, and its fragility:
- its natural history collections with over a million objects, including an exceptional collection of naturalized specimens, making it a valuable witness to and key to understanding the evolution of life. It is also recognized as a "Musée de France" for the interest of its scientific and natural heritage.
- sound zoo, renowned for its involvement in conservation projects for local species such as crayfish, and international species such as lemurs, carried out in partnership with wildlife conservation professionals and scientists. Its zootechnical expertise in breeding and reproducing rare and endangered species is internationally recognized.
My visit in six stages
1
The Naturalium
Start your visit with the Naturaliumto discover the richness of local and international biodiversity, its evolution, the threats to environments and species, and the actions being taken to preserve them.
2
The Aquarium
Come and immerse yourself in the unexpected world of freshwater with the Aquarium. Dive into the Doubs River to familiarize yourself with its rich ecosystem, starting with its complex flora and fauna, ranging from mollusks to catfish. Take a fresh look at freshwater aquatic environments, their biodiversity, and the challenges of preserving them.
3
The Insectarium
Continue your tour at the Insectarium, where more than 60 species from all over the world await you: insects (cockroaches, grasshoppers, stick insects, mantises, and bees), arachnids (scorpions, tarantulas, etc.), amphibians (such as poison dart frogs and mantellas), and many others.
4
The Noctarium
The tour continues with the Noctarium, a unique place in Europe where you can learn more about the small animals of our regions. Thanks to a reversal of the day-night cycle, you can observe the nocturnal life of dozens of small local mammals and amphibians in broad daylight.
5
The Zoological Garden
Then travel across all continents with the Zoological Gardento observe rare species of primates, birds, and mammals, some of which are listed on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List and threatened with extinction.
6
The Little Farm
Your visit ends with the Little Farm, where you can stroll peacefully among dwarf goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, guinea fowl, and chickens.
Focus on...
La collection d’archéologie du Muséum
La collection d’archéologie est un témoin de l’histoire du Muséum.
Redécouvert très récemment grâce à un nouvel inventaire, le fonds archéologique s’est révélé d’un intérêt scientifique et patrimonial important. Comptant environ 1200 vestiges, il s’est constitué majoritairement au 20e siècle grâce aux fouilles régionales mais aussi suite aux découvertes fortuites d’amateurs, de scientifiques et de professeurs à la faculté des sciences de Besançon. Acquis définitivement en 2020 par la municipalité, ce fonds fait partie des biens du Muséum au même titre que les collections de sciences naturelles.
Un inventaire exhaustif a été réalisé, chaque objet ou vestige a pu être étudié, numérisé et photographié, en parallèle d’une mise à jour bibliographique. Des constats d’état ont également permis de faire le point sur les conditions de conservation dans les réserves. De cette étude a résulté une meilleure connaissance du fonds, où s’est détachée une nette représentation des périodes du paléolithique, néolithique et de l’âge du Bronze, surtout représentées par des outils en silex et de la céramique.
Parmi ce matériel archéologique, des vestiges d’archéozoologie (étude des restes animaux en relation avec les sociétés passées) et d’archéoanthropologie (étude des restes humains en contexte archéologique) ont été redécouverts.
En archéozoologie, l’ours des cavernes (Ursus spelaeus) est représenté par de nombreux ossements dans les collections du Muséum. Les vestiges ont majoritairement été retrouvés dans les grottes locales, lieux favoris d’hibernation des ours. Lors de cette période fatidique, l’animal pouvait y laisser la vie si les provisions venaient à manquer. Pendant son séjour en grotte, il a pu rencontrer l’Homme de Néandertal ou encore l’Homo Sapiens qui s’adonnaient, en de rares occasions, à sa chasse.
En archéoanthropologie, plusieurs sépultures sont conservées. Les inhumations datent surtout du début de l’âge du Bronze, comme le confirme la céramique protohistorique retrouvée dans les grottes. Contrairement aux idées reçues, l’humain n’habitait pas dans les cavernes mais il pouvait y séjourner temporairement pour s’abriter de la pluie et du froid, ou encore pour y enterrer ses défunts.
Ces exemples de collection conservés au Muséum illustrent à la fois la diversité des matériaux mais aussi une cohérence du fonds qui concerne certains ensembles, comme ici avec l’occupation humaine et animale des grottes locales, du Paléolithique à l’âge du Bronze.
Animal areas
Focus on...
Odessa, the peaceful time of a botanical harvest
At the beginning ofthe 19th century, many French people lived in Odessa. The mayor and governor of this city was none other than the Duke of Richelieu (the great-grandnephew of the illustrious cardinal and minister to King Louis XIII). AlexanderI called on him to develop the cradle of Tsarist "New Russia." Considered one of the founders of the city, he shaped it with wide avenues, built a port on the Black Sea that allowed for large-scale commercial activity, and forged its unique character. If you don't get a chance to see his bronze statue facing the city's port, you can see the portrait of the Duke of Richelieu painted by Thomas Lawrence at the Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology in Besançon (1st floor –19th century room).
On August1, 1823, a French botanist examined this land in Odessa, now struck by Russian missiles, to collect this plant. It is Limonium scoparium (Pall. ex Willd.) Stankov, a plant with curled flower stalks bearing small pale purple flowers that grows in the Eurasian steppes. The author of the herbarium questions the species' high morphological variability, mentioning in Latin on the label "var. foliis acutis"; a variety with pointed leaves.
It is not impossible that our botanist, who lived in Crimea, may have met the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin while collecting plants in Odessa, since Pushkin was in exile in that city that same year. In his letters, Pushkin writes that Odessa is a place where "you can feel Europe. French is spoken there and there are European newspapers and magazines to read." At that time, many aristocrats were fleeing the revolution and settling in Russia, following the example of Richelieu, as well as many more modest French people tempted by the idea of making their fortune there. French gradually became the language of Russian high society, supplanting Latin, the international language.
So, 200 years ago, this plant was carefully harvested, identified, dried, annotated, and placed in the herbarium of this French immigrant. After many travels, it has come down to us and, along with hundreds of thousands of others, is carefully preserved at the Citadel in the reserves of the Natural History Museum of the City of Besançon. These plant samples are now part of the world's natural and cultural heritage. In these times of great upheaval, they bear witness to their presence in certain places at certain times. And this particular sample invites us to think kindly of the coveted city of Odessa, known as the pearl of the Black Sea.
References:
Odessa – a mythical city in the Mediterranean world by Francis Conte –https://www.persee.fr/doc/casla_1283-3878_2016_num_14_1_1132
https://fr.rbth.com/art/culture/2017/05/26/pourquoi-parlait-on-francais-en-russie_770977
https://discover-ukraine.info/fr/places/southern-ukraine/odesa/783
Painting by Thomas LAWRENCE, Portrait of the Duke of Richelieu, oil on canvas, inv. 896.1.159, is on display at the Besançon Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology (1st floor – 19th century room).
The collections of the Natural History Museum
The Besançon Museum ranks among the top ten national museums in terms of the importance of its collections, both on display and in storage, covering many disciplines of life and earth sciences: zoology, osteology, paleontology, geology, botany, etc.
