The exhibition is titled “A Tower, Lilies, and Laurels” and chronicles the Battle of Fontenoy on the occasion of the 280th anniversary of the battle.
Of the many sieges the city of Tournai has endured over its more than two-thousand-year history, the one in 1745 was undoubtedly the one that left the deepest impression on the people of the time.
To see a fortress and a citadel built by Louis XIV, captured in 1709 by his enemies, and recaptured 36 years later by his successor to the French throne was in itself a feat of arms that could have altered our destiny; yet this siege is remarkable above all because it gave rise to a battle whose name still lives on in the collective memory: the Battle of Fontenoy.
This battle, pitting English, Dutch, and Austrian forces against the army of King Louis XV—commanded, in his presence, by Marshal Maurice de Saxe—resulted in a victory of exceptional magnitude that has become part of the narrative of French history.
To mark the 280th anniversary, the exhibition traces this battle and the victory of the French troops. It will be on view from May 10, 2025, through January 31, 2027, and will be available in French and English.
An opening reception for the exhibition will take place on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the museum.