Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The villa Les Rumbs, built at the end of the 19th century, owes its name to the thirty-two divisions of the wind rose, a symbol present in a mosaic of its entrance. Acquired in 1905 by the Dior family, she became Christian Dior's childhood home, where he spent his first years before his family settled in Paris. This place, with its garden and sea view, will deeply mark its inspiration, as it evokes in its autobiography Christian Dior and me.

In 1936, ruined, the Dior family sold the property to the City of Granville, which made it a public garden. In the 1980s, under the leadership of curator Jean-Luc Dufresne, the project to transform the villa into a museum dedicated to Christian Dior emerged. The Association Présence de Christian Dior, founded in 1991, runs from the museum, with the support of public (City of Granville, Region, State) and private partners (Dior Couture, LVMH).

The centenary of the birth of the designer in 2005 marks a turning point: major works and the exhibition Christian Dior, a man of the century (recognized of national interest) increase the reputation of the museum. In 2012, he obtained the label Maison des Illustres. Today, the museum preserves and enriches the collections related to Dior, while organizing exhibitions in this exceptional setting, between sea and garden.

The pink villa, emblematic of Dior's creations, overlooks the cliff of Granville, offering a unique view of the Anglo-Normandes islands and the tides among the strongest in Europe. The one hectare garden, with a winter garden, completes this place full of history and inspiration, where architecture and nature respond.

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