Cluny Museum, Paris 
Roman baths at the Cluny Museum. For detailed captions and larger
views of 200 more photos, see our Cluny Museum Photo Gallery.
"Court of Honor" in the 15th-century Hôtel de Cluny.
Exterior detail of the Hôtel de Cluny.
The famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestry.
Medieval stained glass of two monks at the ascension of St. Benedict.
Ivory panel relief of the Crucifixion and other biblical scenes.
Primitive-style ivory reliefs including the Hanging of Judas.
Golden altarpiece depicting Pentecost.
Bust of John the Baptist on a Byzantine cross.
Adam and Eve on a Romanesque capital.
The elaborate Gothic vault of the abbot's chapel.
A medieval leather shoe.
The National Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée National du Moyen Âge), also known as the Cluny Museum (Musee de Cluny), displays a magnificent collection of medieval art in a 15th-century Gothic mansion. As an added bonus, underneath the museum are the ruins of ancient Roman baths.
History
The Musée National du Moyen Age is housed in the Hôtel de Cluny, one of only two remaining medieval homes in Paris (the other is the Hôtel de Sens in the Marais). The building was founded by the rich and powerful 15th-century abbot of Cluny Abbey, Jacques d'Amboise, who constructed his mansion over the ruins of a Roman bath.
In addition to abbots, the Hôtel de Cluny hosted other notable residents, including Mary Tudor, widow of Louis XII, beginning in 1515. Seized during the French Revolution, the Cluny was rented in 1833 to Alexandre du Sommerard, an amateur art collector who was fascinated with the Middle Ages. After his death in 1842, the government bought the building and the collection.
What to See
The Hôtel de Cluny
The museum is entered through the cobblestoned Court of Honor (Cour d'Honneur), which is separated from the street by high walls and surrounded on the other three sides by the wings of the Hôtel de Cluny.
The exterior of the Flamboyant Gothic building includes many symbols of the Abbot of Cluny's power, from the crenellated walls to the carved Burgundian grapes. The scallop-shells on the façade symbolize the great Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, which once began just around the corner and was overseen by the Abbey of Cluny.
The design of the museum's medieval garden, completed in 2000, was inspired by the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry and provides a pleasant oasis in the heart of the city. It covers 5000 square meters and includes medicinal plants, a "kitchen garden" of herbs, and a section with a "thousand flowers" (mille fleurs).
Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry
The most famous attraction of the Musée de Cluny is the Lady and the Unicorn (Dame à la Licorne) tapestry, the most acclaimed tapestry of its kind. The six charming scenes, which cover the walls of an entire room, bring to life the romance of the age of chivalry. The tapestry was designed by French artists and woven in 1485-1500 in Flanders. It was discovered in 1841 by Prosper Merimee in Boussac Castle and aquired by the museum in 1882.
Each of the six scenes includes a beautiful lady, a unicorn, and a lion. The animals wear heraldry that identifies the sponsor of the work as Jean Le Viste, a powerful nobleman close to King Charles VII (1422-61). The backgrounds are filled with woodland creatures, plants and flowers, creating an enchanted landscape.
Five of the scenes illustrate the five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell and sound. The sixth scene, which belongs either at the beginning or the end of the series, is especially beautiful and intriguing. It is labeled with a banner reading, "To my only desire," and shows the lady placing a necklace in a case held by a servant.
Roman Baths
Downstairs in room 9 are the ruins of Roman baths, dating from about 200 AD. The best-preserved section is the frigidarium (cold water bath), with ribbed vaulting resting on consoles evoking ships' prows. This unusual motif is explained by the builders builders of the baths, who were Paris's boatmen. On display here is another survival associated with the builders: the "Pillar of the Boatmen," a column dedicated to Jupiter from the 1st century AD. It was found beneath Notre-Dame's chancel and is believed to be the oldest sculpture created in Paris.
Guide to the Rooms and Exhibits
The following numbering of rooms is that used in the museum's visitor guides. The list of exhibits in each room is not comprehensive but gives an indication of the most prominent and characteristic artworks. Rooms 1-6 on the ground floor and 17-23 on the first floor are housed in the 15th-century Hôtel de Cluny. The rest are in 19th- and 20th-century rooms. See the official website for a map of the museum using this numbering.
Ground Floor
- Museum Shop
- Tapestry of St. Peter (15c), Altarpiece of the Passion (16c), sculptures (14-15c)
- Coptic textiles (4-6c), Quadriga from Aachen (8c)
- Manorial Life tapestry (16c)
- Alabaster plaques from Nottingham (15c)
- Stained glass (12-13c)
- Gate of Pierre de Montreuil (13c), tombstones (13-14c)
- Sculptures from Notre Dame Cathedral (12-13c)
- Frigidarium of Roman Baths (1-3c). Boatmen's Pillar (1c), Saint-Landry's Pillar (2c)
- Romanesque Room. Capitals from Saint-Germain-des-Pres (11c), ivories (4-12c), statue heads from Saint-Denis (12c), large wooden Christs from crucifixes (12c), Virgin and St. John from Prato (13c)
- Gothic Room. Apostles from Sainte-Chapelle (13c), capitals from Catalonia (12c), sculptures from Poissy (13c).
- Tapestries (16c), chests, caskets, shoes, pilgrim badges, toys, etc.
First Floor
- The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry (15c)
- Antwerp altarpieces (16c), altar frontal of life of the Virgin (14c), Pieta of Tarascon (15c), tapestry of the Prodigal Son (16c)
- Scriptorium and brassware
- Golden Visigothic crowns (7c), golden rose (14c), Limoges enamels (12-13c), Sainte-Chapelle reliquary (13c)
- Sainted glass (14-15c), ivories (14-15c), Hispano-Moresque lustreware (15c)
- Choir stalls with misericords from Beauvais (15c), Books of Hours (12-13c)
- Golden altar frontal with St. Benedict (11c), golden altarpiece of the Pentecost (12c)
- Flamboyant Gothic chapel (15c). Tapestry of the legend of St. Stephen.
- Angel of the Annunciation from Tuscany (14c)
- Altarpiece of Jouvenal des Ursins (15c)
- Arms, pavises
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Cluny Museum; Musée de Cluny; Musée National du Moyen Âge; National Museum of the Middle Ages |
| Location: | Paris, Ile-de-France, France |
| Categories: | Museums; Castles and Palaces |
| Faith: | Christianity |
| Denomination: | Catholic |
| Status: | museum |
| Architecture: | Gothic |
| Features: | Romanesque Sculpture; Medieval Stained Glass |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 48.850392° N, 2.343999° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Address: | 6 place Paul-Painlevé, 5e, Paris, France |
| Phone: | 01-53-73-78-15 |
| Hours: | Wed-Mon 9:15am-5:45pm |
| Cost: | €5.50 adults, €4 ages 18-25, free for children 17 and under |
| Photography: | Permitted |
| Facilities: | Bookshop; toilets |
| Public transport: | Métro: Cluny-La Sorbonne |
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Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Cluny Museum. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Paris Map.
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- Personal visit (July 22, 2008).
- Musee Nationale du Moyen Age - official website
- Alain Erlande-Brandenburg (Museum Director), Pierre-Yves Le Pogam, Dany Sandron (Curators), Musée nationale du Moyen Age, Thermes de Cluny: Guide to the collections (Paris: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1993).
More Information
- Musee National du Moyen Age – TripAdvisor user reviews
- Musee National du Moyen-Age – Thermes de Cluny – The Economist Cities Guide
- Musée du Moyen Age (Middle Ages) - Musée de Cluny – VirtualTourist user reviews
Article last updated: 07/15/2009.
