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Beausoleil opens History centre

The town hall decided to install its archives, a new Beausoleil History Centre, in the old treasury and the inhabitants will soon be able to discover their history, that of the collective memory.

Behind the façade, there is a large multipurpose room with screen and projector which will welcome visitors. Exhibitions, educational workshops, screenings: Catherine Veran, head of the municipal archives, intends to take advantage of all the logistical and technical possibilities offered here to bring to life the memories entrusted to her by the Beausoleil residents.  In the background, hidden behind a heavy armoured door, in a controlled atmosphere, rest the jewels of the city. There are of course topographic maps, photographs, documents of all kinds, but not only that: as there is no museum in Beausoleil, here there are flags, carnival banners, and even a siphon bottle with the name of the city written on it. The municipality bought a few items, but the funds came mainly from private collections, which people offer to their fellow citizens.

For it is the Principality that indirectly gave birth to Beausoleil. When Camille Blanc was commissioned by Charles III to build the casino complex with its hotels, which would become the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), he brought in skilled workers from Italy, who settled at the border, in Territory of la Turbie. This part of the city has changed very quickly; there were many people in high concentration, while la Turbie was rural. Then Camille Blanc was elected mayor, and began the process of separation of that part of the city that became Beausoleil.

Beausoleil

Any document may be of interest to this center. Without the gifts of individuals, it would not exist. Donations, or loans, have been excellent because the documents can be digitised and maked available. The center can even accept donations with restriction, to make them public in the future.

A project made all the more possible as the city is very young (barely 113 years), and as certain pillars of the municipality are still alive to tell their story. To tell young people where they come from, tell them that others have lived through the same things as they have in the recent past, so that they know where they are headed. The Beausoleil History Centre allows for a continuation of this collective memory in the future.

Photo credit to capfrandos.free.fr

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