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Key figures

Origin and history

The Tesse Museum, located in Le Mans, finds its origins in the revolutionary seizures of 1792, when goods of the clergy and emigrants, including those of the Tesse family, were confiscated. Open to the public in 1799 in the abbey of La Couture, it became one of the first museums in France. The initial collections included works from local churches and private collections, including those of the Marshal of Tesse, 400 of which were seized.

In 1822, the museum was municipalized and enriched by donations, such as that of Édouard de Montulé, who offered Egyptian objects from his trip to the Nile. In 1846, an archaeological museum was founded, but its collections were transferred to the Tesse museum in 1940. The present building, a former bishopric built between 1872 and 1878, has been home to the museum since 1927, after a fire having destroyed the Tesse hotel.

The museum specialized in fine arts and Egyptology, with major pieces such as the sarcophagi of Ta Merer Mâât and Nakhmontou. In 2001, an Egyptian gallery of 600 m2 was created, rebuilding the tombs of Nefertari and Sennefer. The collections of paintings, from the 14th to the 20th century, include works by Philippe de Champaigne, Eustache Le Sueur, and primitive Italians.

The museum has known several curators, including Louis Maulny, who saved the enamel Plantagenet, and Henri Vallée, who led the institution for thirty years. In 1949, after development work, the museum reopened its doors. Today, it remains a major cultural place of the Pays de la Loire, combining historical heritage and varied artistic collections.

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