6 Culture Vaud Military Museum, Morges

Morges, the city for those who love great strolls and local products, brims with witnesses of the past. Facing the somptuous Mont-Blanc, its cultural centre and its harbour adorned with sentry boxes give it a unique charm. The castle, built in the XIIIth century, houses a collection of weapons, armors, uniforms, artillery and figurines : more than 10'000 objects that retraces the military history of the Pays de Vaud and Switzerland, from the Middle Ages to the Cold War. Since 2016, an exhibition is also dedicated to Ignace Paderewski, famous pianist and Polish statesman, inhabitant of Morges for more than 40 years.

Cour intérieure du Château

Musée de l'artillerie

Musée de la Gendarmerie

Musée militaire

Contact

T. : +41 (0)21 316 09 90
Fax : +41 (0)21 316 09 91
Email : chateau-morges@vd.ch
Site : www.chateau-morges.ch
GPS : 46.50657 / 6.496750
Adresse :
- Morges 1
- Rue du Château 1
- Case postale 16
- 1110 Morges 1, Suisse

In the 13th century, the bishops of Lausanne heirs to the county of Vaud, found themselves threatened by the two powerful houses of Savoy and Habsbourg. From 1240 Pierre II of Savoy 'the little Charlemagne' made himself a principality in the Country of Vaud which in 1286 became a prerogative of the youngest of the family, Louis de Savoy, who was the first baron of Vaud. It is he who built the castle and founded the town of Morges to oppose the bishop of Lausanne.

Consequently, the castle was used as a sporadic residence for the barons of Vaud then for the counts and dukes of Savoy when the baronie joined the crown.

After the revolution, the castle became property of the state of Vaud and was mainly used as an arsenal and since 1932 it has housed the Vaud Military Museum.

The castle is a perfect example of the 'carré Savoyard'. It does however include two particular features: The inner courtyard is raised to the level of the old entry which one reached via a drawbridge and the towers have round copings, a modification that was carried out in the 16th century at the time of the introduction of artillery.

Today the castle houses 5 museums:
> The Swiss museum of historical figurines
> The Vaudois Military museum
> The Vaudois Gendarmerie museum
> The Museum of Artillery
> The Paderewski Museum