MUSEUMS 2020/21 THE GUIDE


Musée Bargoin has a collection of textiles from Africa, Asia and the Americas, as well as a wealth of archaeological finds from the Auvergne


1944; and the Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History, an art gallery in a former Episcopal place, covering just about everything from prehistoric art to the art of the 20th century. www.bayeuxmuseum.com


Musée Toulouse-Lautrec Albi, Tarn


Here, in the painter’s home town, you’ll find the most important public collection in the world of artworks by Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. More than 1,000 of his paintings, drawings, lithographs and posters offer an enticing glimpse into Parisian life in the late 19th century. They are all housed inside the wonderful Palais de la Berbie (older even than the Palais des Papes in Avignon and worth a visit in its own right), with its panoramic views over the River Tarn. musee-toulouse-lautrec.com


Musée de la Grande Guerre Meaux, Seine-et-Marne They claim this is Europe’s largest museum dedicated to World War I. Here, in the Pays de Meaux – which was such a key theatre – the “war to end all wars” is examined through the prism of 70,000 or so objects, including uniforms, weapons, vehicles and the often more intriguing and mundane items that people used at the time. “From the soldiers to the women who worked in the armament factories, the war left no one untouched.” www.museedelagrandeguerre.eu


Musée du Louvre 1st arrondissement, Paris The Louvre is many things: an eternal icon of the Right Bank, the most visited art museum in the world and, with its shimmering glass Pyramid, a


favourite backdrop for snap- happy tourists. Its world-famous collection includes Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, and the Venus de Milo. Its 380,000 other exhibits can’t be viewed in one week, let alone a day – so you’ll need to slot in repeat visits if you want to see it all. Just know you’ll be in good company: most years the museum welcomes well over nine million people. www.louvre.fr


Musée de Normandie Caen, Calvados Normandy’s heritage centre ticks all the boxes. Firstly, it’s housed in the illustrious Château de Caen, built in 1060 by William the Conqueror and today a worthy monument historique. Secondly, it explores a wealth of subjects from antiquity to


artisanal crafts, and religion to relics. Fancy a peek at local lace, or rare archaeological finds? This is the place. From October 2020 until March 2021 there’s a special exhibition celebrating the rites and historic origins of carnivals. www.musee-de-normandie.caen.fr


Musée Bargoin Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme There are two sections to Clermont-Ferrand’s Musée Bargoin – one dedicated to the archaeology of the local Auvergne region, the other to clothing and textiles collected from Africa, Asia and the Americas. Highlights include a Neolithic skeleton (the oldest ever unearthed in the Auvergne), a collection of Ancient Gaulish vases and a bejewelled Yemeni marriage shawl from the early 20th century. It’s all housed in a


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IMAGE © MUSÉE BARGOIN


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