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Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel de Gadagne, located in the Saint-Jean district of Old Lyon (5th arrondissement), is a major architectural complex resulting from the fusion of two medieval houses. As early as the 14th century, a luxurious home belonging to the Albant family occupied the site, with stained glass and varnished tiles. In the 15th century, the plot was divided between the house of the Palais (now 2 rue Saint-Jean) and the house of la Boyssette, transformed into a residence with enhanced walls and windows. The Pierrevive brothers, who bought in 1489-1492, launched an ambitious reconstruction in the early 16th century, destroying the Boyssette house and selling part of the land.

In 1538, Marie-Catherine de Pierrevive, wife of Antoine de Gondi, became owner of the southern half of the plot, while Thomassin Gadagne rented the northern part. Repurchased in 1545 by the latter's sons, William and Thomas III of Gadagne, the hotel underwent a reorganization to accommodate their confrontational cohabitation. The Gadagne family, Florentine bankers enriched by commerce and finance, marked the history of Lyon: Thomas I even financed the ransom of Francis I after the Battle of Pavia (1525). Their proverbial fortune ("rich as Gadagne") symbolizes the golden age of the Lyon Renaissance.

In the 18th century, the hotel was divided into houses before being saved by the City of Lyon, which was partially acquired in 1902. Ranked a historic monument in 1920, in 1921 it houses the Museum of History of Lyon (MHL), born of a project launched in 1874 to centralize scattered collections. The Museum of Puppetry Arts (MAM), created in 1950 around Guignol, is also established. Between 1998 and 2009, a major restoration, led by Didier Repellin, doubles the useful surface (6,300 m2) and modernises spaces, mixing traditional materials and contemporary interventions (beton, steel).

The MHL collections, enriched since the 19th century (legs Rosaz, Morel fonds, archaeological excavations), trace the urban, social and economic evolution of Lyon. The permanent course, recast between 2019 and 2024, takes a thematic and militant approach, sometimes controversial, highlighting political issues and local populations. The MAM, meanwhile, has exhibited 110 new pieces since 2022 in the exhibition Virevolte, integrating contemporary creations. A Carte Blanche room, renewed every two years, highlights puppeteers like Michaël Meschke (exhibition since June 2023).

The Hôtel de Gadagne today embodies a dialogue between heritage and modernity, with an annual budget of €3 million and a team of 50 people. Its suspended garden, puppet theatre and educational spaces make it a living cultural place, despite the debates on the scenography of the MHL, criticized for its political bias or praised for its innovation. Archaeological excavations carried out during the renovations also revealed medieval strata, illuminating the intermittent occupation of the site since the 5th century.

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