Historial – The Thiepval site museum
Welcome to the Thiepval Museum
Close to the Franco-British Memorial, the Thiepval site museum (opened in 2016) is devoted to the Battles of the Somme, and in particular that of 1916. It provides visitors with a unique, information-rich and emotion-filled experience.
Unprecedented and innovative in a contemporary history museum, the panoramic mural of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, drawn by Joe Sacco, is a documented and commemorative piece of work. Presented on an imposing 60-metre long panel with backlit glass, this mural places the visitor in the position of spectator on the battlefield. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and comparable to a comic strip, it presents a narrative from both a historic and memorial viewpoint.
In the centre of the room, a glass-covered display pit contains archaeological artifacts and collection pieces, while screens with archive footage are substantiated by historic information, creating bridges between the battle scenes of 1st July 1916, retraced by Joe Sacco.
This originality continues throughout the visit, which is interspersed with features such as the spaces devoted to the German and French visions of the Battle of the Somme, the detailed maps of areas behind the front lines, the room devoted to Missing soldiers, with keepsakes and 90 pictures of the Missing and the area earmarked for the Aces of Aviation, with a replica of the Nieuport airplane flown by Georges Guynemer over the Somme. The visit ends with the memorial landscapes of the Somme.
With the combined ticket you can complete your History and Remembrance tour with a visit to both Historial museums in Thiepval and Péronne.