International Museum

of Freemasonry

Castillonnès, 47, France

Center for Art and Culture

Project Overview

The International Museum of Freemasonry (IMF), a Center for Art and Culture, is a unique project in the world, rooted in a historic building of the medieval bastide of Castillonnès.

This project involves the purchase of this building and its complete restoration and rehabilitation.

It will be the first museum independent of any Masonic organization.

Its mission is to present Freemasonry from its origins to the present day, as it exists across the world and through its various organizations.

Once completed, this museum, a true living center of art and culture, will feature several aspects such as:

Permanent and temporary exhibitions on the history of Freemasonry and its organizations around the world, Masonic rites, and similar organizations
Collections of Masonic tableware, medals, aprons, documents, and ritual objects
Immersive tours
Reconstruction of an 18th-century Masonic lodge
Reconstruction of an underground Mithra temple in the medieval cellar
Reconstruction of a section of the medieval keep
Library
Cultural center offering writing workshops, art courses, research, conferences, and private re-enactments
Organization of concerts and recitals
Gift shop

The museum is officially registered in France as a non-profit association under the 1901 law.

A historic building

The museum will showcase its collections and develop its activities in a building with a long history dating back to the founding of the town.

The bastide of Castillonnès was established during the medieval period in a region that had experienced Gaulish and then Gallo-Roman presence.

The medieval cellar likely dates from this period and is equipped with an underground well from the same era.

The building that will house the future museum, a center for art and culture, was once part of the keep of the vast medieval castle.

It later became a large residence belonging to the Marquis of Saint-Quentin de Gironde. In the 19th century, this building hosted a religious school, and a century later, it became the warehouse of a carpenter.

In 1805, a Masonic lodge was established in this town and remained active for several decades, leaving its mark on the history of the site.

The Current Situation

The 1901 association of the museum (SIREN 924573264) signed a sales agreement for this building in July, for the amount of 110,000 euros.

Development Phases:

First phase: Purchase of the building and expert appraisal
Second phase: Rehabilitation of the building while respecting the different historical periods (Volunteers may be supervised to participate in certain stages of the restoration work)
Third phase: Development of the museum project, integrating modern technologies and historical reconstructions
Fourth phase: Commissioning and opening to the public

The bastide of Castillonnès was established during the medieval period in a region that had experienced Gaulish and then Gallo-Roman presence.

This building includes one or more medieval cellars, which likely date from this period. There is also an underground well from the same era.

The building that will house the future museum, a center for art and culture, was once part of the keep of the vast medieval castle.

It later became a large residence belonging to the Marquis of Saint-Quentin de Gironde. In the 19th century, the building hosted a religious school before becoming a carpenter's warehouse a century later.

Due to lack of maintenance, the building was almost abandoned after the religious boarding school ceased its activities.

First Phase: Purchase - Goal 110,000 Euros (US$ 120,000)

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A Building Constructed on the Foundations of the Medieval Keep

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How to Get There

Bergerac is less than a 30-minute drive away, and the large city of Bordeaux is 90 minutes away, both with airports. It is the only bastide connected by a National Road (RN21). Bordeaux also offers a direct TGV connection to Paris in just 2 hours. Agen, less than an hour away, also has a TGV station.

Ideally located in the northern Lot-et-Garonne, just a few kilometers from the Dordogne, this historic site allows you to explore one of France's most historically rich regions, from prehistory to the present day.