Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Art and History of Lisieux is housed in one of the last wooden houses of the seventeenth century of the city. Labelled Museum of France, it presents the evolution of Lisieux from Gallo-Roman times to the post-Second World War Reconstruction. Its collections include Gallo-Roman murals, Merovingian glasses from the Michelet necropolis, as well as objects related to the 19th century textile industry and the daily life of the Pays d'Auge.

The museum preserves major works such as paintings by Gustave Courbet, Francis Picabia and Eugène Boudin, as well as an exceptional collection of ceramics from the Pré d'Auge, produced between the 15th and 17th centuries. These pieces, often glazed with green and ochre, illustrate both luxurious local craftsmanship and everyday objects. One room is dedicated to the industrial boom of Lisieux (1850–75), while another one evokes the destruction of the city at 80% during the bombings of June 1944 and its reconstruction.

Founded in 1833 by François Guizot, then Member of Parliament for Lisieux, the museum initially relied on state deposits and donations from collectors. After the destruction of his collections in 1944, he was reconstructed from 1945 on thanks to saved objects, archaeological excavations and acquisitions. In 2003, he obtained the label Musée de France and reopened in 2013 with a modernized museumography. Today, it also plays an educational role, offering workshops for schools and a specialized documentation centre.

Among the flagship pieces are the lacrosse of Pierre Cauchon, bishop of Lisieux known for having presided over the trial of Jeanne d'Arc, as well as portraits of bishops who marked local history. The museum also houses medieval archives, such as a 15th-century bishopric cartular and Romanesque paving. An interactive fresco and mock-ups illustrate post-war reconstruction, while a giant aerial view visualizes the urban evolution of Lisieux.

The museum highlights emblematic local figures, such as Thérèse Martin (canonized in 1925), Paul Cornu (helicopter pillar), or the ornithologist Émile Anfria. He also kept testimonies of daily life before 1944, such as promotional leaflets, traditional costumes from the Pays d'Auge (knits, cashmere shawls), and Norman jewelry. These elements illustrate the cultural and artisanal richness of the region before its destruction.

Since 1977, the collections have been unified under one direction, enriched by excavations, donations and targeted acquisitions. The museum collaborates with the Château-Musée de Saint-Germain-de-Livet and the Musée du Vieux Manoir d'Orbec within the museum pole of Lisieux Normandie. Its research centre, open to students and individuals, offers access to resources in archaeology, local history and heritage, strengthening its role of preservation and transmission.

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