Looking for great ways to enjoy the Journées du Patrimoine 2025? Surrounded by trees, set in the Vallée de Chevreuse nature park and crossed by the Yvette river, the town of Chevreuse is a haven of peace in the heart of nature, already well known to cyclists and hikers. But the Yvelines town has much more to offer! In addition to its plant heritage, Chevreuse also boasts a broad cultural heritage, which is reflected in the various monuments that adorn the town.
Castle, church, priory, remains of ancient buildings: the history of the region is revealed in these magnificent buildings, which have survived the centuries to give us a fleeting glimpse of the past. Come and discover these exceptional sites on September 20 and 21, 2025: on the occasion of the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days), several Chevreuse monuments open their doors to the public for a weekend of discovery and entertainment.
But how and why are these monuments preparing special tours for this September weekend? Like thousands of others in France, these places are taking part in the Journées du Patrimoine, an annual cultural event that allows us to discover all the historical and heritage treasures that adorn our regions. It's a not-to-be-missed opportunity for the curious and culture-loving!
Château de la Madeleine
Heritage Days 2025: medieval festival at Château de la Madeleine (78)
To mark the Journées du Patrimoine 2025 (Heritage Days 2025) on September 20 and 21, the Château de la Madeleine in the Yvelines region of France is offering a special program featuring a medieval festival. [Read more]
Domaine de la Chapelle Saint-Lubin
Antoniucci Volti: sculpture, materials and architecture at the Fonderies de Chevreuse
On the occasion of the 2025 European Heritage Days, the Saint Lubin de Chevreuse association is honoring one of the greatest French sculptors of the 20th century, Antoniucci Volti (1915-1989), in a rare heritage site steeped in memory: the Fonderies de Chevreuse.
For a weekend, this exceptional industrial site, usually closed to the public, becomes a living showcase for artistic creation, in direct resonance with this year's theme: "Architectural heritage".
Volti and the Fonderies de Chevreuse: a dialogue between art and architecture
Antoniucci Volti is a major figure in modern sculpture. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, his work, often compared to that of Maillol or Bourdelle, celebrates the sensuality of the female body, the power of volume and the nobility of materials. Although his sculptures can be seen in many French cities, it is in Chevreuse, in the workshops of the Fonderies de Chevreuse, that many of them are exhibited for a few days.
This industrial site, built at the beginning of the 20th century, was for many years a Mecca for art casting. Its architectural structure - vast glass roofs, open volumes, stone walls and metal frameworks - is emblematic of industrial architecture designed to serve artistic creation. Here, stone and bronze combine with light and space to create works of rare intensity.
The proposed program highlights how the architecture of a place shapes the work, and how the work, in turn, reveals the beauty of the architecture.
Guided tours: immersion in the world of Volti and the foundry
Throughout the weekend, visitors are invited to explore this unique site through guided tours focusing on: the history of the Fonderies de Chevreuse, a remarkable example of industrial architecture dedicated to the crafts; the process of creating and casting the sculptures; the close collaboration between Volti and the foundry craftsmen; the presentation of emblematic works and archive documents about Volti.
The tours will also explore the architectural dimension of Volti's work, which considered his sculptures in their relationship to space, light and monumental scale.
🕰️ Guided tour times (duration: 30min):
Saturday: 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm
Sunday: 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm
📍 Free - Reservations recommended (groups of 20-30)
Special lecture - Saturday, September 20, 6-8pm
"Volti, sculpture as architecture of the body"
by Nicolas Antoniucci Volti, architect and son of the artist
On Saturday evening, an exceptional lecture will be given on site by Nicolas Antoniucci Volti, architect and son of the sculptor.
He will share an intimate reading of his father's work, his relationship with the body, materials and space. He will also evoke the importance of manufacturing sites - such as the Fonderies de Chevreuse - in the genesis of the works, and the fundamental link between architecture and sculpture, two arts shaped by volumes.
🎤 Free admission - booking essential
Practical info
📍 Location: Fonderies de Chevreuse - 72bis rue de la Porte de Paris, 78460 Chevreuse
📅 Dates: Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September 2025
🎫 Price: Free - Reservations recommended for tours, compulsory for the conference
📧 Contact / Reservations: association.saint.lubin@gmail.com / 06.98.70.93.73
Instagram : Asso Culturelle de St Lubin
Through this original program, the Saint Lubin association pays tribute to the union between art and architecture, revealing an exceptional site and the work of a major artist, whose work resonates powerfully with contemporary heritage issues.
An invitation to discover how space shapes creation... and how sculpture, in turn, magnifies architecture.
On the occasion of the 2025 European Heritage Days, the Saint-Lubin de Chevreuse association is pleased to invite you to an exceptional conference:
🗓️ Saturday, September 20, 6 pm to 8 pm
📍 Fonderies de Chevreuse - 72bis rue de la Porte de Paris, Chevreuse
"Antoniucci Volti: Architect of sensuality"
This meeting will be hosted by:
Nicolas Antoniucci, architect and son of sculptor Volti, who will deliver a personal account of his father's work and his dialogue with space and matter.
Nahla Naili, doctoral student in art history, specialized in sculpture and architecture, and also a sculptor, who will shed scientific and sensitive light on Volti's place in the history of modern sculpture.
In the unique setting of the Fonderie Saint-Lubin, an exceptional heritage site usually closed to the public, this lecture will highlight the close links between sculpture and architecture, at the very heart of the artistic creation process.
👉 Free admission - booking essential
📧 association.saint.lubin@gmail.com
| 📞 06.98.70.93.73
The event is open to young and old, and accessible to people with reduced mobility.
We look forward to seeing you for this rare moment of sharing and discovery.
We look forward to seeing you soon,
The team of the Association culturelle de la Chapelle Saint-Lubin
Saint-Martin de Chevreuse church
Aucun événement annoncé à ce jour, le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Saint-Saturnin Priory - GRATALOUP Museum
European Heritage Days 2025: visit the GRATALOUP museum and its thousand-year-old priory in Chevreuse
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### An artistic, ecological and heritage journey in the heart of Chevreuse
For the European Heritage Days 2025, on Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21, the GRATALOUP museum opens its doors for a unique cultural experience in one of the hidden gems of the Chevreuse valley.
Housed in the Saint-Saturnin priory, an exceptional 10th-century building, the museum offers an immersive tour combining heritage, contemporary art and ecology, thanks to bilingual podcasts, an exhibition on water and a sensitive scenography.
### 🏛️ A place steeped in history: the Saint-Saturnin priory
Every year, the Musée GRATALOUP takes part in this national event, inviting visitors to discover a little-known heritage gem: the Saint-Saturnin priory, a remarkable 10th-century edifice that has been restored and turned into a museum of contemporary art.
Thanks to a bilingual podcast (French/English) specially designed for the occasion, you can travel back in time, from the year 1000 to the present day, to discover this place inhabited by a thousand years of history.
### 💧 An exhibition as part of the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine 2025 (European Heritage Days 2025)
Under the theme 2025 "Cultivating our future", the Journées du Patrimoine are also intended to be educational and meaningful. This year, in conjunction with the French Ministry of Culture and the2tonnes association, the GRATALOUP Museum is offering a sensitive look at one of the major contemporary issues: water.
### The current exhibition,"Les Couleurs de l'eau", offers a double immersion:
* In the garden, 14 photographs by Yann ARTHUS-BERTRAND reveal the beauty and fragility of the world's water resources.
* In the chapel, 15 works by the symbolist painter GRATALOUP evoke the spiritual, poetic and universal dimension of water.
Each work is accompanied by an immersive podcast, in two versions (adults / children), also bilingual.
Don't forget to bring your smartphone headphones to enjoy this experience to the full.
### 🎟️ Practical information
🗓️ Dates : Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21, 2025
🕒 Times: 2pm to 6pm
📍 Address: 3 rue de l'église, 78460 Chevreuse
💶 Special Heritage Days rate: €6 per person
👉 Online booking required - access limited to 20 people simultaneously
⏱️ Tour duration: approx. 1h30
🎧 Bring your earphones to listen to podcasts
The GRATALOUP Museum is a private, non-profit organization. It receives no public subsidies, and operates on the basis of admissions and the commitment of its visitors. This symbolic fee allows us to maintain a quality experience in an intimate setting.
These two days are an ideal opportunity to (re)discover a unique place, where contemporary art dialogues with thousand-year-old history, and where culture and ecological awareness meet.
🎫 Book your slot now and let yourself be carried away by the magic of the place and the power of the works.
Tour itineraries :
While the Château de la Madeleine is well known and often visited, the remains of Chevreuse's 14th and 16th century town walls have been forgotten and are deteriorating. Our association aims to bring these traces to the attention of the public and to have them classified in order to safeguard them.
We wish you a wonderful cultural weekend in Chevreuse! Happy Heritage Days in the Yvelines!
Dates and Opening Time
From September 20, 2025 to September 21, 2025
Location
Château de la Madeleine
Maison du parc
78460 Chevreuse
Prices
Free
Official website
www.chevreuse.fr
