Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dupuy-Mestreau Museum occupies the Hotel Monconseil, a mansion built in 1738 for the Marquis Étienne Guinot de Monconseil (1695-1782), member of the local aristocracy and former governor of Haute-Alsace. Its rock façade, decorated with staples and mascarons, overlooks the quays of Charente. Listed in the inventory of historical monuments in 1931, the building housed under the Ancien Régime des salons littéraires, before becoming the prefecture of Charente-Inferior from 1790 to 1810.

In 1920, Abel Mestreau (1854-1939), a passionate collector, transformed the hotel into a museum to display his ethnographic objects illustrating everyday life in Saintonge, Aunis and Angoumois: costumes, jewellery, furniture, pottery and traditional interior reconstructions. The collections, enriched with local earthenware and a room dedicated to the marine, reflect the art of regional living up to the 20th century. The museum, acquired by the city of Saintes in 1992, is now labeled "Musée de France" and distinguished by the Green Guide 2023.

The hotel Moncounsel, an 18th century architectural masterpiece, combines a monumental facade inspired by the rock style with wrought iron elements. Its triangular pediment and balustrade underline its past prestige. Inside, thematic pieces such as the Marquise chamber or chapel testify to the social diversity of the period, from popular circles to aristocratic elites. The models, prints and ceramics of the Renaissance (including the Chapel of the Pots) complete this cultural panorama.

Abel Mestreau, the museum's central figure, has formed an eclectic fonds combining popular memories and aristocratic objects. His work of preservation, initiated in 1920, helped to safeguard key elements of Saintonge's heritage, such as traditional capes (Capots, Quichenottes) or furniture of the "thieusine" (Charentaise kitchen). The museum remains a living testimony of local traditions, from the Old Regime to modernity.

External links