Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Municipal Museum Le Vieux-Manoir originated in 1873 when Frédéric Hélix d'Hacqueville, mayor of Orbec and promoter of the railway, initiated its creation as a prestigious project and educational tool. Initially enriched by shipments from the state unrelated to the region, the museum is gradually moving towards a local vocation thanks to random donations received. Its identity is clarified with the collection of objects related to the history of Orbec and its region, covering archaeology, architecture, popular arts and archives.

In 1927, the founding of the Orbec Historical Studies Corporation marked a turning point: it undertook a systematic collection of objects (gallo-Roman elements, medieval, religious furniture, textiles, ceramics) deposited at the museum. The latter became a reflection of Norman traditions, also incorporating extra-European, military and scientific collections. The building itself, a Renaissance wood-paned house built in 1568 for an easy tanner, is a remarkable architectural testimony, with its carved frame and its partially preserved polychrome masonry.

Labeled Musée de France, the establishment now retains a variety of collections: paintings, sculptures, numismatics, traditional costumes, and paper archives. Its territorial anchoring is reinforced by its association with the House in wooden strips called Old Manoir, classified as Historic Monument, which houses part of the collections. The museum remains a key player in the preservation of local heritage, between industrial memory (funds of architect P. Bigot) and Norman social history.

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