Presentation

Founded on May 20, 1904 by Canon Alfred Bonno, parish priest of Chelles (died 1921), the S.A.H.C. Société Archéologique et Historique de Chelles aims to propagate a taste for historical and archaeological research.

Today, the S.A.H.C., an association governed by the law of 1901, under the presidency of Jean-Pierre Thoretton, brings together history and heritage enthusiasts from Chelles and the surrounding region.

The Société Archéologique et Historique de Chelles organizes :

• conferences,
• exhibitions,
• outings to places steeped in history.

We take part in the Carrefour des Associations, where you can meet us. We also take part in the European Heritage Days, during which you can visit Villa Max and the adjoining garden. Four times a year, we organize open-house "après-midday" events at Villa Max.

Every year, we publish a high-quality newsletter dealing with one facet of our local history. This is often the result of long-term work by the most passionate among us, including archival research.

Young or old, you're interested in history! Whatever your knowledge, come and join us.

For an annual membership fee, you can attend lectures, receive the Petit-journal, our annual publication, and take part in our free or paid outings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Villa Max is representative of the urban development that Chelles underwent in the last third of the 19th century, following the opening of the "Paris-Meaux" railway line in 1849.

As the Villa fell into disrepair, the City of Chelles purchased it in 2004, and signed a rehabilitation agreement with the Société archéologique et historique de Chelles, which is now based there.

The garden, still very much in keeping with its original design, is reminiscent of the Buttes-Chaumont garden, inaugurated in April 1867.

The house, also representative of the regionalist architecture in vogue at the time, has three habitable levels built over a full basement. The tower has an additional level.

Launched in 2013, the first phase of the project was to restore the interior of the pavilion, preserving its original materials. The municipality was also responsible for bringing the building up to the required standards.

The ground floor can now be used for a variety of small-scale exhibitions.

Since then, it's the exteriors that take center stage every summer. Several facades, as well as the slate and brick sections, have already been refreshed.

Preserving, rehabilitating, showcasing and opening the building to the public is a way of enhancing the urban heritage of 19th-century Chelles, by providing a concrete example of the architectural and landscaping styles of the period.

In 2019, Villa Max was awarded the "Chellois remarquable" label, created by the city to distinguish unprotected historic buildings in Chelles.