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Origin and history

The Museum of Art and History of Toul found its origins in 1872, dating from its creation in part of the former Episcopal Palace, shared with the town hall. Partly destroyed by a fire in 1939, it was rebuilt after the war thanks to the Circle of Local Studies of Toulois. In 1985, he settled permanently in the House of God, a building founded in the 10th century under the episcopate of Saint Gérard (963-994), whose 13th century Gothic chapel, classified as a historical monument in 1980, bears witness to its hospitable past.

The museum exhibits a rich archaeological heritage, ranging from prehistory to the Middle Ages, with objects from local excavations. Its collections include 16th-century Flemish tapestries (such as the history of Solomon and the Queen of Saba), faiences of the Toul-Bellevue factory (XVIII–XIX centuries), and pictorial works of the 18th and 19th centuries. A room is dedicated to Russian icons, inaugurated in 2008, while other spaces evoke military history (uniforms of 14-18) and traditional rural life.

The building of Toul-Bellevue, founded in 1756 by Charles François and run by the Aubry family, illustrates the local craftsmanship. The museum owes part of its reputation to Michel Hachet, curator since 1985, who enriched the collections with unique pieces. In 2019, the establishment is renamed Museum of Art and History Michel-Hachet in his honour. The Maison-Dieu, with its reconstituted cuisine and Gothic remains, offers an exceptional setting to trace the history of Toulouse, from medieval care to contemporary art.

Among the remarkable pieces are the superhumeral, a rare textile fragment linked to four bishops, and instruments such as the monocord of Poussot. The permanent exhibitions combine archaeology (medieval necropolises, Gallo-Roman furniture), fine arts (tables of Friant, The Barbier), and natural sciences (mineralogy, ornithology). The museum, labeled Musée de France, embodies the cultural diversity of Lorraine, from antiquity to the Belle Époque.

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