Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Villa la Sapinière, built in 1878 by Alexandre Reynaud back from Mexico, is an example of eclectic holiday architecture. In 1971, Antoine Signoret donated to the city of Barcelonnette, with its park. In 1988 the villa became the Musée de la Vallée, bringing together the collections of the former Chabrand museums (legs of 1893) and the Hôtel de Ville (1934), under the leadership of André Honnorat and Marcel Provence. Its thematic rooms exhibit ethnographic and historical objects, such as collections related to Barcelonnettes in Mexico or the trip of Émile Chabrand.

The museum preserves original elements such as woodwork, marquetry floors, and a walnut staircase. In 1992, Colette Dernis, granddaughter of Alexandre Reynaud, gave the furniture of the smoking room. In 2004, Bernard Martel offered restored Art Nouveau stained glass windows installed in the stairway bay. Since 2001, the museum has enriched its contemporary collections, including works by Gilles and Laurence Aillaud, related to Ubayenne migration to Mexico.

Listed as the Musée de France, the property belongs to the network of museums of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Its multidisciplinary collections (archaeology, fine arts, ethnology) include major collections: the voyage of Émile Chabrand (1882-1883), the orientalist canvases of Jean Cairo and Marie Tonoir, or Mexican donations (1952, 1976). Depots of national institutions (Musée du quai Branly, Palais Longchamp) complete its exhibitions, mixing local heritage and international openness.

External links