After more than two years of work, the Departmental Archives of Côtes-d'Armor reopened to the public. The exhibition "The Archives come out of the woods" is at the centre of their cultural programming devoted to the history of forests.
New premises
Thanks to a major extension and rehabilitation project, notably financed by the DRAC Bretagne, the Departmental Archives, located 7 rue François Merlet in Saint-Brieuc, are now equipped with new spaces designed to welcome readers and visitors in the best conditions.
The reopening of the reading room is effective since the Tuesday, March 14, 2023 ; the room is open to all from Tuesday to Friday from 8:30 to 5:15 without interruption.
New reading room © Departmental Archives of Côtes-d'Armor
If the work on the building’s public spaces is completed, the work will continue in the document storage and archivist workspaces: stores, sorting room, quarantine room, dust collection room, unloading dock, offices, etc. These spaces are invisible to the public but essential to the activities of the teams in charge of preserving and communicating the archives. The final work in progress is expected to be completed next summer. At the end of the construction site, the conservation capacity will increase from 22 to 33 linear kilometers!
"Archives coming out of the woods"
Although the department of Côtes-d'Armor is not the most wooded in France, the forest has occupied and still holds a special place in the life of its inhabitants. Nourishing spaces necessary for the survival of the village communities, reserves of raw materials for the industries of wood and fire, lands of confrontation of different authorities, places of spiritual retreat for the monks of the abbeys, The forests have found themselves over the centuries at the crossroads of political, economic, social and environmental issues. But they were also conducive to walking, daydreaming and imagination. All these dimensions will be examined in the light of the archives to better understand the place of the forest in the life of the Costarmoricains of yesterday and today.
The exhibition proposes to explore the links that men have with the forest over a course divided into five distinct spaces: "The forest environment", "From the nourishing forest to the exploited forest", "Forest of power and state", "Forest and society", "From reality to imagination".
From the founding charter of the abbey of Bon-Repos in 1184 to the management plan of the forest of Beffou in 1955, including letters, photographs, films, objects and sound recordings, Many documents are mobilized to better understand this story.
A scenography evoking the forest universe was specially designed by the agency "La Volumerie" and the graphic designer Elsa Baudon to highlight the archives.
A series of conferences, artistic events and events outside the walls are offered over the duration of the exhibition.
See the full programme:
Practical information
Theexposure is open from the 22 March to 8 December 2023, Tuesday to Friday from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.
Exceptional opening on Sunday 26 March, 2 April and 14 May from 2pm to 6pm.
Accompanying booklet to the visit and booklet-games for children are offered visitors.
Guided tour for groups and school groups upon reservation.