Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Montmorillon

About the museum

The Musée d’art et d’histoire de Montmorillon was founded in 1936, after the death of the painter Raoul Carré, thanks to works donated by his widow. It was the first municipal museum in the south of the Vienne department. It declined from 1948 onward, then regained momentum in 1966 with the discovery of the prehistoric site of La Piscine. In 1977, its collections were moved to the Maison-Dieu.

The association that ran the museum was dissolved in 1998, and the museum closed to the public. It received the “Musée de France” label in 2003 and reopened in 2018 with an entirely redesigned display.

Today, the permanent display is on the second floor of the Salle Raoul Carré, in a bright space of 160 m². It shows only fine arts collections: paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, sculptures, photographs and drawings, mainly by artists from Poitou, often former students of the Poitiers School of Fine Arts, with many canvases by Raoul Carré. The museum also holds a collection of archaeological, ethnographic and numismatic objects, from prehistory to the Gallo-Roman period, which is not on view at present. It organizes temporary exhibitions, workshops and educational activities.

Highlights

• Free admission and self-guided visit
• Paintings by Raoul Carré
• Works by artists from Poitou trained at the Poitiers School of Fine Arts
• Paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries
• Playful trail for children with booklet and puzzles

Permanent exhibition

• Collections de beaux-arts – Paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, sculptures, photographs and drawings, notably by artists from Poitou and by Raoul Carré, in a 160 m² space.

Founded

1936

Operated by

Ville de Montmorillon

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission and self-guided visit. Guided tours are available all year round by telephone reservation.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Nouvelle-Aquitaine museum portal lists the museum as accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Playful trail for younger visitors, with an educational booklet for ages 6 to 10 and puzzles that recreate three paintings from the permanent display. The museum also offers workshops and educational activities.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi mentioned by the departmental tourist office.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit