Patrimony Days and the Fine Arts Museum of Tours

Take advantage of the Heritage Days on 18 and 19 September 2021 to visit the Fine Arts Museum of Tours located 10 minutes walk from our establishment L'Artist Hotel.

 

The Fine Arts Museum of Tours

Installed in a historical monument, the Museum of Fine Arts of Tours houses in its underground galleries the most beautiful lapidary inscription to the glory of the Turons (Gallic people who occupied the Touraine region). The inscription "CIVITAS TURONORUM LIBERA" means that the city was free at the time.
The museum was officially created in 1801, in 1802 and throughout the 19th century, the buildings were again assigned to the archdiocese. It was only in 1910 that the collections returned to the former archbishop's palace.

 

The Museum Collection

The collection begins with the seizures of 1794, an incredible collection from abbeys, castles (Richelieu or Chanteloup...) in the region. In 1801, the museum received works from the Royal Academy of Painting (Nattier, Restout, Houasse, Dumont le Romain). Rubens' Ex-voto, and the Italian Renaissance Masterpiece, Christ in the Garden of Olives and Resurrection of Andrea Mantegna are the most important pieces received at the time. The Museum also exhibits antique objects. Deposits and legacies enrich the museum with works by Lorenzo Veneziano, Rembrandt, Ingres, Perronneau, Van Loo, Vernet... The museum has one of the most exceptional collections of Italian Primitives. The nineteenth century is very well represented by the neoclassical school (Suvée, Taillasson), romanticism (Vinchon), orientalism (Belly, Chassériau, Delacroix), realism (Bastien-Lepage, Corot, Cazin, Gervex) up to impressionism, post-impressionism, symbolism (Monet, Degas, Henri Martin, Le Sidaner, Wiem) and in sculpture with Barye, Bourdelle, David d'Angers, Rodin... What is interesting is to also be able to admire works of the twentieth century such as those of Silvano Bozzolini, Alexander Calder, Joe Davidson, Olivier Debré, Maurice Denis, Jacques Monory, Bruno Peinado, Serge Poliakoff, Zao Wou-ki...

 

This museum's exceptional collection is worth a visit.

Artisans set up their workshops in the museum during Patrimony Days. You will discover the talents and secrets of restorers of furniture, paintings, watchmakers, gilders on wood, upholsterers. They will make you discover their passion live.

Location
18 Place François Sicard
37000 Tours

Schedules
Open from 9 am to 12.45 and from 2 pm to 6 pm except on Tuesdays.
Closed on January 1, May 1, July 14, November 1 and 11, December 25.
During heritage days, admission is free.

Access the museum website