Familistère de Guise
The industrial pioneer, Jean-Baptiste-André Godin, created a town in the 19th century for workers at the Poêles Godin stove factory and their families.
At Guise, Utopia became reality !
The industrial pioneer, Jean-Baptiste-André Godin, left something behind him which can best be described as a ‘social palace’ – a ‘town within a town’, created in the 19th century for workers at the Poêles Godin stove factory and their families. Godin baptized it « Familistère (Familistery) » by analogy with the « Phalanstère (Phalanstery) », a predominantly agricultural concept developed by Charles Fourrier. The vast living environment, centred round the family and built on the outskirts of the factory, gave employees access to ‘equivalents to wealth’ (fresh air, clean living conditions, education, wholesome food and clean clothing), something very close to Godin’s heart. Today visitors can experience what life was like during the heyday of the Familistère by visiting the theatre, gardens, school, laundry-swimming pool, shops and, of course, living accommodation, an amazing museum offering a wide range of events throughout the year. Don’t miss it !
Discover the Familistère de Guise and its ‘Social Palace’
The impressive, interactive model of the site during the 19the century will guide you during your visit.
The Social Palace, the main building of the Familistère, consists of three accommodation blocks around a glazed interior courtyard, a fine example for community living.
Schools to educate children, the most precious of the “equivalents to wealth” offered by the Familistère.
The nursery and crêche dedicated to the care and education of babies and infants.
The Italian-style theatre, modelled on a 19th century bourgeois theatre.
The company stores, shops and amenities for families living in the Social Palace.
The laundry-swimming pool directly supplied with hot water from the Godin stove factory and dedicated to keeping clothes clean and bodies healthy.
Things to see and do in and around the Familistère in the Aisne region
Take a guided tour to start with, then walk around on your own.
« 1st May at the Familistère », is celebrated throughout the Thiérache area and features sketches, street theatre and concerts modelled on the Labour Day celebrations created by Godin in 1867.
Original temporary exhibitions in the fields of history, photography and contemporary art.
Make the most of your stay to visit the castle of the Ducs du Guise and the remarkable fortified churches of Flavigny le Grand and Beaurain.
To get close to nature, explore the Oise Valley by canoe or by bike along the Eurovélo 3 cycle route.
Our favourite comment : « At the Familistère de Guise, I kept thinking about my elders hunched around the famous Petit Godin stove, a source of heat and well-being, a very special moment of togetherness »
How to get to the Familistère de Guise
By road : A1, A29 and D1029 : 2½ hours from Paris
A26 N2 and D946 : 1 hour 10 minutes from Reims
A23 and D934 : 1 hour 40 minutes from Lille
E19 and D946 : 2 hours 15 minutes from Brussels
By rail : to Saint-Quentin (from Paris - Gare du Nord)
Nearest airport : 1 hour 50 minutes from Roissy – Charles-de-Gaulle
Contact details
Cité Familistère
02120 Guise
Latitude : 49.904727
Longitude : 3.625237"
