Museum

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Abbatiale Saint-Michel Place d'Armes - 01130 NANTUA
Consecrated and placed under the patronage of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul toward the end of the 11th century by Hugues of Semur, Abbott of Cluny and Nantua, the Abbaye of Nantua was built on a former Benedictine abbey, which was an elder sister to Cluny and where the body of Charles the Bald it is said to have rested before his inhumation at Saint-Denis. It became a listed Historical Monument in 1907. Despite some damage suffered during the Revolution, its pediment remains a superb example of Roman art. It clashes with the Cluny style, featuring strict and dignified yet elegant chapters of Cistercian architecture. It is host to an organ manufactured by Nicolas-Antoine Lété (1845), listed historical monument in 1976, also to the Sainte-Anne Renaissance chapel with its superb suspended vault -an amazing technical feat-, and to the “Martyrdom of Saint-Sebastien“, a chef-d’oeuvre of worldwide repute painted by Eugène Delacroix. From the former cloister one can enjoy a splendid view. Open everyday from 8.30 am to 7 pm, except Sunday morning. Guided visits can be arranged for groups on request, individual guided tours on Tuesday at 3 pm and Saturday at 10 am in July and August (register at the Pays de Nantua – Haut- Bugey Tourist Office)

	Chapelle Saint -Clair Proche de la Mairie - 01430 MAILLAT This chapel is known under different names “Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs”, “Notre-Dame de la Pitié”, “Notre-Dame de Compassion”, “Chapelle Saint-Félix” or “Sainte-Irénée”. It was built using perfectly carved stones, and its originality lies in its hexagonal layout. The actual date of its construction is uncertain: around the 13th or 16th Century. Open everyday
Monument commemorating the Deportees of the Ain 011300 NANTUA Situated on an advanced point on the southern shore of lake Nantua, it was created by Louis Leygues a former deportee and inhabitant of Bourg-en-Bresse. Inaugurated on 6th November 1949, it is the first French monument to be dedicated to the 595 victims of deportation in the Ain Département, who never returned from the death camps. An urn has been embedded around the monument. It contains the ashes of the deportees of Buchenwald and mentions their names as well as the name of the camps where the died. A plaque also commemorates the souvenir of 44 Jewish children of Izieu who were gassed upon their arrival at Auschwitz.
	Tour du château des Terreaux 01430 SAINT-MARTIN DU FRESNE The castle was built by Etienne II of Thoire and Villars, following the 1248 treaty. The round tower was made using moellon (5 metres high). An ogive-shaped opening is still visible on the north side of the building, where two crows can be seen. Panoramic view point over the plain of Saint-Martin.
Ruines de la chartreuse de Meyriat 01110 VIEU D'IZENAVE The cohabitation between the monks of the Chartreuse de Meyriat and the inhabitants of Brénod was not always easy. In 1116, 6 km long strip of land was attributed to the Chartreux, but this was too small. The presence of the monks impoverished the villagers and many legal proceedings opposed the two parties. In 1424, Brénod was freed from the monastic yoke and was placed under the authority of the Comtes de Savoie who drove the monks out. The abbey was destroyed during the French revolution, and its remains were used to build houses and farms in the region. A few stones are still visible on the site, which makes for a pleasant walk. Accessible by the RD 31 road that leads from Saint-Martin du Fresne to Brénod via the “Route des Sapins” of the Haut-Bugey (site of the “Sapin Président” nearby).

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