Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Art and Archaeology found its origins in 1832, when the Society of Natural Sciences and Antiquities of Creuse founded it as a cabinet of natural history and antiquities. He opened his doors to the public on 8 July 1838, before his collections were transferred to the City of Guéret. Originally located in the Presidual, it was transferred in 1905 to the Hotel du Clos (or Senatery), a building of the late eighteenth century enlarged for the occasion. The inauguration of this new space took place on 19 December 1907, marking a key step in its development.

The museum, currently closed for restructuring, is preparing a modern extension aimed at improving conservation and accessibility. This project includes reserves of museum standards, an educational room, a library space, and full accessibility for people with reduced mobility. The course will be redesigned, with a redeployment of collections, including works from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, a Gallo-Roman statuary, Asian arts, and objects related to the Resistance.

The Hotel du Clos, a former Senate residence under the Empire, now houses a varied heritage: paintings, sculptures, limousine silverware, coins, weapons, and tapestries. The museum also preserves ancient Egyptian collections and a fund dedicated to painters in the Creuse Valley, reflecting its regional anchoring and encyclopedic ambition.

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