The European Heritage Days, created in 1984 by the French Ministry of Culture, are a not-to-be-missed annual event for history and culture lovers. Every third weekend in September, monuments, museums, parks and other heritage sites open their doors to the public, often free of charge, to offer a glimpse into the history of France.
In Paris and the Île-de-France region, the Journées du Patrimoine 2026 promise once again a rich and varied lineup. The iconic places not to miss include, of course, the Palais de l'Élysée, the behind-the-scenes access to the Opéra Garnier, and the many guided tours in the national museums.
The Maison Jean Monnet in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne is one of the Yvelines department's most important historical sites. The former residence of the father of Europe, Jean Monnet, this house, now a museum, is a place of remembrance dedicated to one of the European Union's leading architects.
Guided tour of the Jean Monnet House
Guided tour of the Jean Monnet House
10:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:30
Duration: 30 minutes, every half hour.
Explore the living and working spaces of a key architect behind today’s Europe. A immersive glimpse into the place where the idea of a united Europe began to take shape.
Open to all, free of charge
Conditions de participation : Free admission | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–12:00, 14:00–17:30 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00–12:00, 14:00–16:00
Europe’s Natural Heritage in Color
The diversity of Europe’s landscapes forms a living heritage that fuels creativity and inspiration. This workshop invites both young and old to unleash their imagination by painting shells and dried leaves, then take home seed packets to sow, extending the bond with nature and supporting biodiversity.
With Fabienne Derreux (Paradeisos)
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Tours and interpretive activities around the Hemicycle Garden and the Rose Garden
At Maison Jean Monnet, the gardens become spaces of memory, sharing, and transmission of European history. Through the European Citizen Garden and the collaborative rose garden project, the Paradeisos association invites visitors to discover a living heritage where nature and European legacy meet.
The tour will showcase the work behind these spaces, as well as the Maison Jean Monnet rose garden and the roses named for landmark figures in European history, such as Louise Weiss and Simone Veil.
Group tours led by members of the Paradeisos association
Participation conditions: Free | No booking required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 2:00 PM–3:00 PM
Living Heritage in Cyanotype
The cyanotype, one of the earliest photographic processes, offers a fresh lens on living heritage and the memory of landscapes. Drawing on plants from the Maison Jean Monnet's citizen garden, participants produce botanical prints that reveal themselves in the sun. A workshop that blends photography, artistic creation, and a tour of a garden that embodies transmission, biodiversity, and European heritage.
With Elena Secondo (Paradeisos) and a specialist facilitator
Participation conditions: Free | No registration required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Conference on the medieval history of the Lords of Montfort and the surrounding region
The history of a region often unfolds through networks that cross borders. This lecture revisits the lords of Montfort in the Middle Ages, their alliances and influence, to understand how a local noble family participated in the great political and social currents of its era.
With Catherine Marchal
Participation requirements: Free of charge | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM–3:00 PM
An immersive theatre production centered on Simone Veil
Thank you, Madam: a theatrical immersion around Simone Veil
5:00 PM–6:00 PM
La Maison Jean Monnet hosts “Merci Madame,” a play devoted to Simone Veil, performed by the company “Le théâtre chez vous.”
Between emotion, reflection and immersion, the production invites the audience to interrogate the legacy, the commitment and the deeper motivations that drive the transference of memory.
This performance takes on a particularly resonant note in this iconic venue, opened by Simone Veil in 1987, in homage to Jean Monnet’s European heritage.
Registration required (maximum 20 places) :
jean-monnet-europe@europarl.europa.eu or +33 3 88 16 41 11
Open to all audiences aged 10 and up, free of charge
Participation terms : Limited to 20 places (booking required) - Booking essential - +33 (0)3 88 16 41 11, jean-monnet-europe@europarl.europa.eu
Timings: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Jean Monnet House
7 Chemin du Vieux Pressoir
78490 Bazoches sur Guyonne
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