Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

In the 1930s, a group of scholars, including Roger Rodière, founded a museum in the citadel of Montreuil-sur-Mer to preserve the remains of its history. Closed during World War II, it reopens in the chapel of an ancient orphanage. The collections, enriched by donations and purchases, come mainly from churches destroyed during the French Revolution, reflecting local religious and artistic heritage.

In 1983, the Acary de la Rivière mansion, bequeathed by Mary Wooster with her castle, became the new seat of the museum. This neoclassical building of 1810, with facades decorated with ancient sculptures and columns, illustrates the ostentatious architecture of the period. Its symmetrical plan, with a circular forebody and triangular pediment, makes it a remarkable example of Montreuil's early 19th century urban planning.

The current project aims to restore the hotel to the rules of art, preserving its facades and adding an extension for accessibility. The work will respect Mary Wooster's desire to transform the home into a cultural centre hosting exhibitions, conferences and artistic events. The collections, ranging from Gallo-Roman archaeology to 19th century paintings, bear witness to the daily life and religious fervour of Montreuillois.

Among the treasures exhibited are liturgical objects, coins and seals exhumed during excavations, as well as a series of watercolours by Alexander Nozal, heir to the painters of Barbizon. These works, combining Impressionism and Fauvism, illustrate the "École de Montreuil", a local art stream that marked the region. The hotel, the last built in the city, also symbolizes the patronage of wealthy families like the Acary of the River.

The interior decoration, inspired by antiquity with draperies and military motifs, contrasts with the sobriety of the rear facade. The noble spaces, organized in a series, oppose the commons reserved for domestics, reflecting the social hierarchy of the era. Today, the museum perpetuates the memory of Montreuil-sur-Mer, from its missing churches to its cultural reach.

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