As an amateur lover of architecture and history, other than a castle, church or monastery, nothing beats coming to a museum. Especially if it relates to related subjects of mine. While traveling , I am always on the lookout for them, and if missed them noted down to come back on a later visit. This is the case of the Musée des arts decoratifs in Bourges. I like to update this older post and give you updated text, links, and additional picture found in my vault. Hope you enjoy the post as I
The Hôtel Lallemant is a mansion in Renaissance style with a museum on decorative arts. It was built around 1500 ,its an example of the first Renaissance period in France! The building has the feel of been in inclination as it is built over the gallo-roman ramparts! It is a beautiful building indeed. It houses today the Musée des arts decoratifs , since 1951 ,and acquired since 1826 ,and managed by the city of Bourges today.It has exquisite objects d’arts from the Renaissance period such as clocks, tapestries, paintings of France, Italy and Low Countries, as well as furniture, enamel and ivory items, just superb. The entrance to the museum is via the rue du hôtel Lallemant. The main building, located between the upper and lower courtyards, contains rooms housing collections of furniture and works of art. A small room (cabinet or oratory) is remarkable for its coffered ceiling decorated with 30 carved patterns. It houses ,among other things, various pieces of furniture and objects from the 17C and 18C.
The Hôtel Lallemant mansion was probably decorated in the first decade of the 16C. Built on the Gallo-Roman enclosure of the city of Bourges, it offers two facades: a rear facade, on rue Bourbonnoux, where the large cross-sections underlined by Gothic foliage contrast with the Renaissance openings of the central bay, and a set of facades on the two high courtyards, where patterns of ancient inspiration (fluted pilasters, friezes) are associated with terracotta medallions, replicas of Italian works, and mounts of a still medieval spirit (mermaid, snail-man wild…). The first two owners, the brothers Jean Lallemant l’Aîné and Le Jeune, both finance officials of the royal administration, aldermen of the city of Bourges and lovers of decorated manuscripts, have left an exceptional testimony to this hotel. living environment of a family of notables, at the beginning of the Renaissance. Before becoming a museum, the Hôtel Lallemant was in the 19C a school run by nuns, then the seat of the city’s learned societies. The project to make the Hôtel Lallemant a museum appeared in the 1930s and thought of highlighting the ceramic collections of the museum. It was finally a museum devoted to a selection of paintings and furniture that opened, from 1951.
I take this post to inform all coming to Bourges ,the museums will undergo renovation and will be closed for two years, Check with the City tourist office if coming, From January 2, 2023, the museums managed by the Department of Museums and Historical Heritage will be closed to the public for two years: the Estève museum, the museum of the Best Workers of France, as well as the school museum which are added to the Musée du Berry, which has been closed since June 2021, and to the Hôtel Lallemant, awaiting major restoration work.
The City of Bourges on the museum :http://www.ville-bourges.fr/_en/site/culture—leisure_museum-decorative-arts
The Friends of the museums of Bourges: https://www.amis-musees-bourges.fr/Musee-des-arts-decoratifs
The Assoc of museums of the Centre Val de Loire region on the museum: https://www.museescentre.com/en/lesmuseesenregion/mus%C3%A9e-des-arts-d%C3%A9coratifs
This is an exquisite building to say the least and very much a must to visit for the architecture alone. I encourage you to come and visit the Musée des arts decoratifs , Of course, the deco arts items inside are gorgeous and worth seeing them. Again, hope you enjoy the Decorative arts museum of Bourges as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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