The Ernest Cognacq Museum ( French: ''Musée Ernest Cognacq'') is a French regional history museum, located in the city of Saint Martin de Ré,

Île de Ré Île de Ré (; variously spelled Rhé or Rhéa; Poitevin: ''ile de Rét''; en, Isle of Ré, ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. Its high ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. The museum is housed in the "Hotel de Clerjotte", built in 1470-1480 by Louis Clergeat, taxman for Charles de France,

Duke of Guyenne The Duke of Aquitaine ( oc, Duc d'Aquitània, french: Duc d'Aquitaine, ) was the ruler of the medieval region of Aquitaine (not to be confused with modern-day Aquitaine) under the supremacy of Frankish, English, and later French kings. As succe ...

, and master of Île de Ré. Clergeat seems to have given his name to the building (the "House of Clergeatte") to become "Hotel de Clerjotte" today. The building was expanded in the 16th and 17th centuries, with two lateral constructions equipped with hallways and arcades. In 1684, Jean Gabaret, Lieutenant General of the Royal Navy and a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

, became the owner of the house. With the rise of nearby

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

as a key shipbuilding harbour for the Royal French Navy, Saint Martin de Ré was fortified following the designs of Vauban, and the Hotel de Clerjotte was acquired by Intendant

Begon {{otheruses The metallurgical site of Begon (or Begon II) is located in southern Chad, approximately 150 km from the regional center of Moundou. Site description Covering an area of roughly 1800 sq m, the metallurgical site of Begon was used as ...

to become an arsenal. The building remained an arsenal until the 20th century. In 1929, it was designated as a historical monument, and, after some service for the Navy, was given to the City, which transformed it into a Museum. The Hotel de Clerjotte, currently under renewal, houses the Ernest Cognac Museum, named after Ernest Cognacq, founder of the

La Samaritaine La Samaritaine (French pronunciation: a samaʁitɛn is a large department store in Paris, France, located in the first arrondissement. The nearest métro station is Pont-Neuf, directly in front at the quai du Louvre and the rue de la Monnaie ...

Department store and benefactor of the museum. A new contemporary wings houses various displays related to the history of the island. The garden behind the museum holds a monument with a statue of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, first President of the United States. The base of the monument features a medallion representing

Nicolas Martiau Nicolas Martiau (; 1591–1657) was a Frenchman who immigrated to the English colony of Virginia in the 17th century. He was born on the western island of Île de Ré. The garden behind the Ernest Cognacq Museum in Saint Martin de Ré hold ...

, a direct ancestor of George Washington. The monument was inaugurated on October 11, 2007, by the ambassador of the United States to France. The filiation between the two men is described on the monument: *Nicolas Martiau (1591 Île de Ré - 1657 Yorktown) - Jane Berkely *Elizabeth Martiau – Colonel George Reade (1608-1674) *Mildred Reade – Colonel

Augustine Warner Augustine Warner, Sr. (September 28th 1611 – December 24th, 1674), was an English-born Virginia planter and politician. The progenitor of a prominent colonial family, and great-great grandfather of President George Washington, he was ...

(1642-1684) *Mildred Warner – Laurence Washington (1661-1698) *Colonel

Augustine Washington Augustine Washington Sr. (November 12, 1694 – April 12, 1743) was the father of the first U.S. president, George Washington. He served as an officer in the British Navy during the War of Jenkin's Ear although he belonged to the Colony of Vir ...

– Mary Ball (1708-1789) *George Washington (1732 Yorktown-1799 Yorktown)

Gallery

Image:SiameseEmbassyToLouisXIV1686NicolasLarmessin.jpg, Siamese king

Narai King Narai the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระนารายณ์มหาราช, , ) or Ramathibodi III ( th, รามาธิบดีที่ ๓ ) was the 27th monarch of Ayutthaya Kingdom, the 4th and last monarch of the P ...

's embassy to

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

in 1686. Image:GeorgeWashingtonAndNicolasMartiau.jpg,

and his French ancestor

. Image:DelftChina18thCenturyCompanieDesIndes.jpg,

Delftware Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf, is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...

. Image:CaptureIleDeRe16Sept1625.jpg, Capture of

on September 16, 1625.

External links

Le musée Ernest-Cognacq de Saint-Martin-de-Ré
guided visit
Le musée Ernest-Cognacq
commune de Saint-Martin-de-Ré
museum website
le réseau des musées de Poitou-Charentes {{Authority control Local museums in France Museums in Charente-Maritime Île de Ré