Songeons Park

Welcome to Songeons Park, located around an 18th-century bourgeois residence. The building now houses the Museum of Art and Archaeology, founded by patron Antoine Vivenel. Though he ended his life in bankruptcy, he spent his wealth collecting artworks and antiquities with the goal of creating an encyclopaedia of human history and culture. He left nearly 4,000 pieces to the city, ranging from Prehistory to the mid-19th century. In the park, you’ll also see the remains of the Jacobin Convent, built in the 13th century and destroyed in the 18th century. The alignment of the cloister’s arcades is all that remains, along with an arch and a few tombs that mark the presence of an old cemetery. Once a year, around the weekend closest to May 23, the park is transformed into a living medieval world for the Joan of Arc Festival. Expect a bustling market of artisans and food producers, hands-on workshops for all ages, music from local ensembles, and dramatic evening performances with knights and fire-lit scenes. It’s an unforgettable way to step back in time.