Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Fine Arts and Lace of Alençon finds its origins in a post-revolutionary grouping of a natural history cabinet and some art works. In 1857, an official institution was founded to promote the arts and sciences, under the influence of local personalities such as Léon de La Sicotière. This Alençonian senator and scholar plays a key role in enriching the collections thanks to major donations (Chennevières, His de La Salle, Leriche, etc.), making up the main museum heritage in the 19th century. The lace of Alençon, a local emblem, only integrates collections at the end of this century, first as a witness to regional industry.

Originally installed in the city hall and then in the house of Oze, the museum was transferred in 1981 to the former Jesuit college, restored under the mandate of Pierre Mauger. This historic site brings together all the collections of Alençonnaises, including paintings (French and Dutch schools, 15th–12th centuries), a unique ethnographic background on Cambodia (constituted by Adhémard Leclère, the last general resident of the country), and a section dedicated to lace. In 2010, the know-how of the Point d'Alençon was inscribed by UNESCO as an intangible heritage, dedicating its cultural importance.

The museum is also distinguished by contemporary artistic interventions, such as the lace fresco painted in 2018 by NeSpoon on its facade. His permanent exhibitions highlight three axes: fine arts, lace (with European pieces from the 17th century to the present), and Khmer ethnography. The label Musée de France and its address at 12 rue Charles Aveline make it a central place of Norman heritage, combining local history and international openness.

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