Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Breton departmental museum of Quimper, founded in 1846 by the Société archéologique du Finistère, occupies the former palace of the bishops of Cornouaille, a building adjacent to Saint-Corentin Cathedral. This "society museum" exhibits various collections: archaeology, sculptures, costumes, furniture, earthenware and stained glass, illustrating history and the arts of the Finistère de la Préhistoire in the 20th century. The tower of Rohan (1507), a Renaissance jewel of the reign of Louis XII, houses a helical staircase surmounted by an oak ceiling decorated with plant motifs, animals and enigmatic characters.

The building, classified as a Historical Monument in 1921 for its dungeon and registered in 1983 for its facades and interior decorations, combines architectures of the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The rooms, restored between 1990 and 2001, are divided into four thematic sections: archaeology and ancient arts (up to the eighteenth century), traditional costumes (XIXth–XXth centuries), furniture and wood sculpture (XVth–XXth centuries), and ceramics (XVIIIth–XXth centuries). The collections include major pieces such as the Torsade d'or d'Irvillac (Bronze Age) or the Tréglonou necklace (iron Age), as well as Renaissance stained glass windows and Art Deco tiles.

The spaces dedicated to the costumes of the Finistère, located in the ancient episcopal suites of the eighteenth century (lambris and parquets of origin), stage some thirty models and photographs illustrating the dress styles of the countries of the Bigouden, Quimper or Douarnenez. A room is renewed annually to explore the evolutions of a specific territory (e.g. Bigouden in 2023, Poher in 2024). The sections on furniture and sculpture exhibit medieval to modern pieces, including inter-war creations by the artists of the Seiz Breur (René-Yves Creston, Jeanne Malivel).

The Quimperian faience, presented on the third level, traces its history since the eighteenth century, with luxury pieces, botanical or Breton decors, and works Art Deco like the Service of the Sea (Mathurin Méheut, 1925). The museum also preserves bas-reliefs by Pierre Toulhoat (1952) evoking Breton traditions, as well as contemporary creations. The temporary exhibitions, focusing on the arts of Brittany (1850–1950), complete this cultural panorama.

The former bishopric, owned by the department, combines architectural heritage and rich collections. Its Rohan dungeon, 18th century frescoes and Renaissance stained glass windows make it a classified site, while its annual acquisitions, published in the Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Finistère, bear witness to a dynamic of active preservation.

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