Musée national du Moyen Âge

The Musée National du Moyen Âge ( up to the year 1980: Musée de Cluny ) is one of the main attractions of Paris. It is located in the Latin Quarter in the 5th arrondissement.

Building

Around the year 200, the Thermes de Cluny is now known as baths were built in the ancient Lutetia, around the year 380 they were largely destroyed. Only the cold water has been preserved to a large extent and integrated into the museum. It is with a length of about 20 m as once the largest cold water in the province of Gaul.

In 1330 an abbot of Cluny Abbey acquired the remains of the plant to the future, to have their own property in possession of the abbey during visits at the royal court in Paris. From 1485 to 1490 was built on the grounds of the Palace Hôtel de Cluny. It combines some elements of style of late Gothic and Renaissance. In 1842 the ensemble was to state ownership, in 1844 the museum was opened.

In September 2000, next to the Hôtel de Cluny, the medieval garden ( fr. Le jardin médiéval ) was applied with an area of about 5,000 m².

Collection

One of the residents of the Hôtel de Cluny was Alexandre You Sommerard (1779-1842), an art collector and archaeologist. He wore the Hôtel together a large collection of medieval tools and objects of art, which bought the French state after his death and were the reason for the founding of the museum.

Lady and the Unicorn

As the main attraction of the museum is the six-part millefleurs Tapestry Lady and the Unicorn ( fr. La Dame à la unicorn ). The Bildwirkereien have emerged in the late 15th century in the Netherlands. Five of the works depict symbolically the five senses, the sixth is called " My only wish " ( fr. A mon seul désir ).

The Bildwirkereien located in a converted, round, windowless room where the lighting there with the strength of 50 lux. This is to protect the carpets from the action of light and at the same time bring their colors to better advantage.

The emergence of these tapestries is also in the novel " The Lady and the Unicorn " by Tracy Chevalier ( German translation: "The Kiss of the Unicorn " ) addressed.

Basler antependium

Be particularly important applies the Basel frontal from the beginning of the 11th century. It was made ​​of gold and is about 180 cm wide and 120 cm high. The Basel Antependium was made after the overwhelming opinion of historians in Fulda, but there are also hypotheses that the origin is Bamberg. According to some hypotheses, the frontal was originally a Benedictine monastery in Bamberg.

It is unclear how the Basel Antependium has come to France. After one of the hypotheses it was in 1023 one of the Emperor Henry II to the King Robert II presents the Basel frontal part of the museum since 1854.

Pilier of Nautes

In previous frigidarium there are five of probably once eight stones that have formed the Pilier of Nautes. They were found in 1710 under the choir of Notre Dame Cathedral. The column was ( 14-37 AD) erected under Emperor Tiberius in honor of the god Jupiter and shows, among other things the ancient Seine- Schiffer, the Nautae. A model shows the presumed original appearance of the pillar, which is considered the oldest at least partially preserved Parisian sculpture.

Other exhibits

It will be exhibited numerous Gothic sculptures, mainly from the 12th and 13th century. Among them are the around the year 1220 created and found in 1977 21 pictures of the heads of the Judean kings. They were handed over to the museum in 1980.

In the same room as the heads of kings is the statue made ​​of limestone of Adam, which originated around the year 1260. It was originally located in the Notre Dame Cathedral, and is noted for the unusual in the 13th century realism.

Also issued stained glass from the 12th to the 13th century are considered to be significant. They were once installed in various churches in northern France; inter alia, Sainte -Chapelle and in the Basilica of Saint- Denis. The oldest stained glass is from the year 1144.