Musée Bossuet

About the museum

The episcopal palace of Meaux was built in the first half of the 12th century and was transformed through the medieval, early modern and classical periods. In the 16th and 17th centuries, bishops such as Guillaume Briçonnet and later Dominique Séguier modernised it. During the Revolution it was stripped of its furniture, then used as a prison and as a depot for confiscated works of art. In the 19th century it was both the bishop’s residence and a sub-prefecture, before passing to the City of Meaux at the start of the 20th century.

Since 1927 the former residence of the bishops, whose upper chapel has been restored to the state closest to that of Bossuet’s time, has housed the Musée Bossuet municipal museum. It commemorates Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, the famous Bishop of Meaux, through portraits by Pierre Mignard and Hyacinthe Rigaud. The palace is part of the cité épiscopale, a district reserved for the bishop and the canons of the Saint-Étienne cathedral.

The painting collection begins in the 16th century with a Déploration du Christ by Frans Floris and continues with works by the Le Nain brothers, Noël Coypel, Carle Van Loo, the Barbizon school, Daubigny, Millet and Gérôme. The museum also holds the Nantouillet reliquary, a Limoges enamel on copper work from around 1180–1210, and a 20th-century room devoted to portraits of Brie peasants by Paul Niclausse. The Bossuet garden, laid out in the French style by André Le Nôtre, is shaped like a bishop’s mitre.

Highlights

• Paintings from the 16th to the 20th century: Frans Floris, the Le Nain brothers, Coypel, Van Loo, Millet
• Nantouillet reliquary, Limoges enamel on copper (c. 1180–1210)
• Portraits of Bossuet by Pierre Mignard and Hyacinthe Rigaud
• Room of Brie peasants by the sculptor Paul Niclausse
• Bossuet garden in the French style, shaped like a bishop’s mitre, and ramparts

Permanent exhibition

• Collections permanentes du musée Bossuet – Paintings from the 16th to the 20th century, the Nantouillet reliquary, portraits of Bossuet and a room devoted to Paul Niclausse.

Founded

1927

Operated by

Ville de Meaux

Visitors per year

approx. 16,691

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of every month

The ticket covers the permanent collections and the temporary exhibition. Holders of the Balad’pass card receive a free ticket when they buy a full-price ticket. Free entry, with proof, is also available to journalists, tourism and culture professionals, and teachers working on a project with the museum. Access to the Bossuet garden is free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family visits and activities and workshops for young audiences. Family visits cost €6; the young-audience workshop costs €5 per child, with one accompanying adult free.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at 5 place Charles-de-Gaulle, in the cité épiscopale, next to the Saint-Étienne cathedral.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit