Musée d'Art et d'Archéologie du Pays de Laon

About the museum

In the heart of the medieval old town, the museum has been housed since 1891 in the former Templars' mansion. It holds the “Musée de France” label and presents more than 2,200 works, which tell almost 700,000 years of history, from Laon to the Mediterranean basin.

In the park stands the Romanesque chapel of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, built around 1140 by the Templars. The octagon and the choir are the oldest parts; the porch was added a few decades later, followed in the 14th century by the gallery and the bell tower. The chapel served as a burial place and today houses some carved stone pieces from the museum.

The collection of Mediterranean antiquities is one of the most important in France after that of the Louvre. It was assembled by the scholar Paul Marguerite de La Charlonie, who brought together around 1,800 objects from Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Etruria and the Roman world. It was bequeathed to the city of Laon in 1937.

The museum also holds finds from many local excavations, from prehistory to the Middle Ages, including the recumbent effigy of the physician Guillaume de Harcigny. The fine arts include paintings from the 15th to the 19th century, among them “Le Concert”, attributed to Mathieu Le Nain, as well as sculptures and decorative arts.

Highlights

• Mediterranean antiquities assembled by Paul Marguerite de La Charlonie
• Greek vases with black-figure and red-figure decoration
• Effigy of Guillaume de Harcigny (c. 1394)
• “Le Concert”, attributed to Mathieu Le Nain
• 12th-century Romanesque Templar chapel in the park

Permanent exhibitions

• Archéologie méditerranéenne – Around 1,800 objects from Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Etruria and the Roman world, including a remarkable group of Greek vases.
• Archéologie régionale – Objects from prehistory, the Gallo-Roman period and the Middle Ages, from local excavations, with the effigy of Guillaume de Harcigny.
• Beaux-arts et arts décoratifs – Paintings from the 15th to the 19th century, sculptures, furniture and decorative objects, including “Le Concert”, attributed to Mathieu Le Nain.

Operated by

Communauté d'agglomération du Pays de Laon

Visitors per year

approx. 7,627

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission for everyone, without conditions, since 1 January 2023, including the permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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