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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:
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Permanent and temporary exhibitions on the history of Freemasonry and its organizations around the world, Masonic rites, and similar organizations
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Collections of Masonic tableware, medals, aprons, documents, and ritual objects
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Immersive tours
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Reconstruction of an 18th-century Masonic lodge
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Reconstruction of an underground Mithra temple in the medieval cellar
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Reconstruction of a section of the medieval keep
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Library, cultural center offering writing workshops, art courses, research, conferences, and private re-enactments
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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 signed a sales agreement for this building in July, for the amount of 110,000 euros.
Development Phases:
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First phase: Purchase of the building and expert appraisal
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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)
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Third phase: Development of the museum project, integrating modern technologies and historical reconstructions
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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.
The collections will showcase Freemasonry around the world, its diversity of expression, its commonalities, as well as specific themes unique to the museum.
Spaces will be allocated to international Masonic organizations that will be able to present the characteristics of this tradition in their country.
The museum's collections
Make This Project a Reality
Whether you are an individual or an organization, whether you are a Freemason or not, you can make this project a reality!
Contribute to the purchase and rehabilitation of this historic building!
First Phase: Purchase - Goal 110,000 Euros
Information for wire transfer
IBAN
RIB FRANCE Banque: 13306 Guichet: 00381 Numéro de compte: 23127219567 Clé 50
Iban étranger: FR76 1330 6003 8123 1272 1956 750
BIC: AGRIFRPP833
Domiciliation: Castillonnès (00381)
Tel. 0553368274
Donations with Paypal and credit cards
A Building Constructed on the Foundations of the Medieval Keep
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. 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.
