Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cité internationale de la Tapisserie in Aubusson, New Aquitaine, was born out of the transformation of the former departmental museum of tapestry, founded in 1982 by André Chandernagor at the Jean-Lurçat Cultural Centre. This original museum presented the local woven history since the 15th century, but its evolution towards a "City" was driven by the inscription of the know-how of Aubusson to the intangible heritage of UNESCO in 2009. A joint union, founded in 2010 with the support of the State and the communities, led the rehabilitation of the premises of the National School of Decorative Art of Aubusson, inaugurated in 2016 under the chairmanship of François Hollande.

The project focuses on four missions: maintaining a fund of 660 tapestries and 18,000 graphic works (including pieces from the 15th to the 21st century), transmitting techniques through a training centre, creating contemporary works (such as Tolkien's or Miyazaki's inspired hangings), and valuing the local ecosystem. The innovative scenography, signed Frédérique Paoletti, includes immersive spaces such as La Nef des tentures (600 m2) or Les Mains d'Aubusson, highlighting the historical collaboration between artists and lissiers.

Since 2016, the City has diversified its activities with large event curtains (e.g. Aubusson weave Tolkien, 14 pieces woven according to the drawings of J.R.R. Tolkien), international partnerships (Studio Ghibli for Hayao Miyazaki), and travelling exhibitions (Japan, Universal Exhibition of Osaka 2025). His contemporary background, enriched by creative calls and patronage, includes some 40 works, including works by Nicolas Buffe or Françoise Pétrovich. The annual visit (60,000 visitors) makes it the most visited museum site in the Limousin.

The institution also plays an economic role in protecting geographical indications (Tapisserie d'Aubusson, Mat d'Aubusson), registered in 2018 to combat counterfeiting. Its resource centre, with 16 500 books, is the first in Europe in this field. Governance, ensured since 2017 by Valérie Simonet (president of the Creuse department council) and Emmanuel Gérard (director), focused on innovation, as evidenced by the second tranche of development (2023) adding a professional hub and temporary exhibition spaces.

Key events include the 2018 Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the revitalization of know-how, and ceremonies of "deadwork" (dissemination of tapestries) presided over by personalities such as Emmanuel Macron or foreign ambassadors. La Cité collaborates with contemporary artists (Raphaël Barontini, Mathieu Mercier) and institutions (Mobilier national), while perpetuating the tradition of four-handed tapestries — an aubussonnaise singularity praised by UNESCO.

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