The Spahis museum is located at Valence, in Drôme.
It is housed in the Quartier Baquet barracks, in the city center, where the 1st Spahis regiment has been stationed since 1984.
The museum evokes, thanks to a very rich collection of costumes, insignia, objects and photos, the history of this unit which perpetuates the tradition of the marching regiment of Moroccan Spahis that General Lyautey had created in 1914. We learn that the very term "spahis" was adopted by the French army during the conquest of Algeria. Of Persian origin, the term referred to "free riders".
The Spahis distinguished themselves in particular during the two world wars (their bravery having marked, for example, the battle of El Alamein in 1942) then were engaged in Indochina, Morocco and Algeria and were finally stationed in Speyer, in Germany, from 1931 to 1984. On this date, the regiment was relocated to France itself, and integrated into the first mechanized brigade. A regiment made up of professionals, it took part in overseas operations during the Gulf War, in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Chad and Côte d'Ivoire.
The museum retraces the feats of arms of the Spahis while evoking the daily life of the troops and its evolution over the decades…
Temporary exhibitions are offered from time to time. Open Wednesday morning or by appointment. Free admission. Information on +33 4 75 78 62 03.
