Foundation of the Priory 1059 (≈ 1059)
Created by the monks of Cluny.
1954
Initial Gautron du Coudray donation
Initial Gautron du Coudray donation 1954 (≈ 1954)
Collections offered in the city.
1966
Municipal status
Municipal status 1966 (≈ 1966)
The museum becomes official.
1980
Appointment of a Conservative
Appointment of a Conservative 1980 (≈ 1980)
Professional management of collections.
1982
Attribution of archaeological furniture
Attribution of archaeological furniture 1982 (≈ 1982)
Integrated priory searches.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Victor Gautron du Coudray - Norwegian poet and scholar
Donor of the first collections in 1954.
Alfredo Pina - Sculptor, Rodin practitioner
Workshop partially preserved at the museum.
Origin and history
In 1954, Victor Gautron du Coudray, Nivernais poet and scholar, left part of his collections to the city of La Charité-sur-Loire. These gifts, enriched by later bequests, form the initial nucleus of the future museum. In 1966, the institution became officially municipal, and a curator was appointed in 1980 to manage growing collections.
In 1982, the museum was awarded archaeological furniture from the excavations of the priory of La Charité, founded in 1059 by the monks of Cluny. These discoveries, including ceramics, architectural decorations and objects of medieval monastic life, help to reconstruct the daily life of a large religious establishment. The collections are regularly enriched by archaeological campaigns carried out before the rehabilitation of the priory.
The museum also houses works of art nouveau and art deco, such as glassware signed by Lalique, Daum or Gallé, as well as porcelain of Sèvres. A room is dedicated to lime and grater tailors, a thriving local activity between the mid-19th and 20th centuries. Finally, the workshop of the sculptor Alfredo Pina, a Rodin practitioner, is partially preserved, adding a major artistic dimension.
Located in an 18th century mansion, the museum benefits from the label Musée de France. Its assets lie in the diversity of its collections: medieval archaeology, fine arts, local ethnology and historical archives. The furniture from the church of St. Lawrence and the cemetery of monks offers a unique light on monastic life in the Middle Ages.
