In Paris, a considerable number of museums and interesting attractions are concentrated that interest curious tourists. Among them is the Museum of the Middle Ages. It compares favorably with other similar institutions of the city, since it managed to preserve the look of the nineteenth century. Here you will not find cafes that are usually found in such places. The main feature of the Cluny Museum is the lack of any systematics and orderliness. Within its walls are simply collected oddities that cause a sense of curiosity in people.
A bit of history ...
The Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages is located on the site of ancient Roman baths, some of which survived to this day. Instead, in the fourteenth century, the city abbey of Cluny was erected. And in the 15-16 centuries the building was rebuilt by Jacques Amboise. In the future, the building was rebuilt and rebuilt many more times. It is for this reason that elements of the Gothic and Renaissance are visible in the building. In the process of eternal rebuilding, some elements and parts were completely unnecessary. Therefore, now you can see the passages leading to nowhere, walled arches and other obscure elements.
The building was confiscated by the state in 1793. Over the next thirty years, it was used for various purposes. The immediate history of the Museum of the Middle Ages began in 1933, after Alexander du Sommer placed here his collection of objects from the Renaissance and the Middle Ages. After his death, the assembly was redeemed by the state from Sommer's relatives. Since 1842, the museum is state-owned.
Where is the museum?
The Museum of the Middle Ages is located near the boulevard Saint-Germain, in the fifth district of Paris. Address of the institution: 6 Paul Painlevé Square.
The institution occupies two floors of the building. It is a real treasury of all kinds of objects of medieval art and unique tapestries. Many experts believe that the pearl exhibition is a series of tapestries called "The Lady with the Unicorn."
According to tourists, the building itself is an excellent setting for art objects. Here you can see a small chapel, large antique fireplaces decorated with carvings, Gallo-Roman baths and more.
In the Museum of the Middle Ages you can buy a brochure that contains information about the institution in English and its plan. In each hall of the building there are information sheets with detailed information about the exhibits.
An extra ticket is not required to visit the shady courtyard.
Ground floor tapestries
The main decoration of the Museum of the Middle Ages in Paris can be called tapestries, which adorn most of the halls. To an uninitiated person, they may seem only part of the scenery. But in fact they are the pride of the collection.
In Hall No. 3 there is a tapestry depicting a scene of the resurrection of Christ, embroidered with gold. On the other canvas two leopards are depicted. The tapestry is embroidered with gold and silver.
In the fourth hall you can see Dutch paintings of the sixteenth century. They depict flowers, birds, scenes from the life of the nobility: a servant near a woman with a spinning wheel, a lady in the bathroom, men going on a hunt.
Hall 5 exhibits altar details made from alabaster and wood, made by Nottingham craftsmen in England. All items were found in various temples in Europe.
Ground floor exposure
In one of the halls of the Museum of the Middle Ages de Cluny in Paris, fragments of stained glass from the famous Chapel of Saint-Chapelle are presented. They were brought during restoration work in the mid-nineteenth century. Such exhibits are very interesting to see close by. The stained glass windows capture unusual plots.
If you walk down the stairs, you can get to the modern building, which was erected around an old term. Here is room number eight. Within its walls are exhibited true masterpieces of the thirteenth century. In particular, here are the heads of the Jewish kings from the facade of the famous Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral. A total of 21 heads were preserved. All of them were cut off from the statues during the French Revolution, which was caused by the iconoclastic sentiments of the masses.
The heads were considered missing for a long time. They were found only in 1977 near the Opera Garnier building in the process of excavation. The heads of the kings suffered greatly and were destroyed while in the ground. They are displayed in a row and symbolize the violated grandeur of the once beautiful sculptures.
Terms
Halls with Gallo-Roman baths are well preserved. But they need repairs. At the moment, pending restoration work, the vaults of the hall are reinforced with metal structures. Here are the capitals of the 3rd century, decorated with carvings. They are known as the "Column of St. Landry" and the "Column of boatmen".
From Roman terms you can go to room number 10, under the arches of which are exhibited works of Romanesque art. The room at number 11 presents objects of Gothic sculptures.
Tapestries "Lady with the Unicorn"
The main exhibit of the Museum of the Middle Ages (photo below) can be called a series of paintings "The Lady with the Unicorn." Tapestries are exhibited on the second floor of the building in a specially equipped dark room. Of course, not all museum visitors are versed in the intricacies of art. And yet, all people celebrate the magnificence of tapestries. Colorful canvases are collected from six episodes, in each of which there is certainly a lady with a unicorn and a lion.
According to experts, tapestries date from the end of the fifteenth century. Presumably they were created for the Le Vist family in Brussels. However, there is very little information available on tapestries. A large number of small flowers, plants, birds are woven on the canvases on a red background, which is why they are called the "thousand flowers".
It is believed that each tapestry is an allegory of one of the senses. The main character of each canvas is a young lady who does different things: plays the organ, plays with the unicorn or collects a necklace. All these episodes are interpreted differently. The last of them is especially interesting. The tapestry depicts a woman who puts her necklace in a casket in the hands of a maid.
Other exhibits on the second floor
According to reviews, the Museum of the Middle Ages presents a variety of exhibits, which at first glance seem completely different and are not united by a single theme. On the second floor, for example, you can see fragments of altars, carved benches, stained glass windows, ivory products, copper products and other luxury goods.
In Hall 16 you can see church relics made of enamel and gold, as well as Visigothic crowns for vows. All of these items date back to the seventeenth century. The golden Basel rose, made in 1330 for the Avignon pope, attracts the attention of visitors.
Tourists reviews
According to tourists, the museum is one of the most interesting places in Paris. It contains a unique collection of ancient objects that you need to see with your own eyes.
No matter how beautiful they were described in the sources, they need to be watched live. The museum can rightfully be added to the list of objects that need to be seen in Paris.
Museum in Bologna
If you travel a lot and are interested in sights, it is worth visiting another interesting institution - this is the Museum of the Middle Ages in Bologna.
It is located in the palazzo Gizilardi Fava of the fifteenth century. It contains objects of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, dated 7-16 centuries. The museum displays bronze items, a collection of weapons, armor, ceramics, church utensils, golden robes, Bologna miniatures and much more.
A significant part of the exhibits are sculptures, among which there are many real masterpieces. They all have an interesting story. The museum is of interest to all guests of Bologna. If you visited this wonderful city, then its outstanding places are worth a look to get acquainted with the objects of art of the Middle Ages. The Italian Museum is no less interesting than the Parisian, so each of them is worth a visit.