Musée Dom-Robert et de la tapisserie du XXe siècle

About the museum

The Dom Robert and 20th-Century Tapestry Museum opened in spring 2015 in the Sorèze abbey school. It occupies 1,500 m² in a restored wing designed by the architect Suzanna Ferrini (n’studio), in a style both contemporary and respectful of heritage. Since 2020 it has been part of the Cité de Sorèze, which brings together the abbey school and the museum.

Dom Robert (1907–1997), a Benedictine monk from the abbey of En Calcat, near Dourgne, is one of the masters of contemporary tapestry. His meeting with Jean Lurçat in 1941 led him to become a cartoon painter, that is, a painter of the full-size designs for tapestries. The collection was first formed by works deposited by the abbey of En Calcat. In 2015 the abbey also gave the museum the holdings of the Goubely workshop, with 35 tapestries by other artists. Deposits, gifts and acquisitions have since completed the ensemble, including 67 works by Pierre Sulmon donated in 2019.

The route shows how a tapestry is made, from the preparatory drawing to the numbered cartoon and then the woven work, and pays tribute to the skill of the Aubusson weavers. One section recalls the Goubely workshop, with a low-warp loom (basse lisse). Every three years the display is renewed to preserve these light-sensitive pieces; the current display, “Prairies animées,” has been on view since March 2024.

Highlights

• 66 tapestries by Dom Robert and 56 by other artists
• Around a hundred tapestry cartoons and more than 2,000 drawings, watercolors and lithographs
• Reconstruction of the Goubely weaving workshop with a loom
• “Prairies animées” display devoted to nature
• A combined ticket with the Sorèze abbey school route

Permanent exhibitions

• Prairies animées – Display of the collection devoted to nature, with Dom Robert, Élie Maingonnat, Gérard Schlosser, Léo Chiachio and Daniel Gianonne, and an installation by Carole Chebron.
• Le savoir-faire des lissiers d'Aubusson – Section on the Goubely workshop, with a low-warp loom (basse lisse), videos and archives.

Founded

2015

Operated by

Cité de Sorèze

Admission & discounts

The ticket gives access to the abbey school route, the Dom Robert museum and one hectare of garden, except in bad weather.

Accessibility

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

The site is accessible to people with reduced mobility: two wheelchairs and about ten seat-canes are available, and two reserved parking spaces are on Rue Saint-Martin, with access by a ramp and an intercom. Easy-read booklets, tactile drawing notebooks with high-contrast colors, and Braille and large-print booklets for the abbey school route are offered. The audio guide includes a few points in French Sign Language.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Playground / play area

The audio guide gives access to the game “La quête de Devic,” designed for children from age 5. Workshops, activities, games and shows are scheduled, with a family filter. A family rate exists, and the museum has a play area for children.

Getting there & parking

By car, the Cité is about 1 hour from Toulouse, Carcassonne and Albi. Airports: Carcassonne (60 km), Castres (35 km) and Toulouse (90 km).

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Ticket office and shop at the reception, Rue Saint-Martin. The abbey school’s hotel and its restaurant are closed for works. Small dogs are admitted in a bag or carried in arms.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 297 guests.

The Cité de Sorèze rents out the abbey church (297 seats), the auditorium (199 seats), the Réfectoire des Rouges, a 6-hectare park and a pavilion with 20 rooms. Political, religious or sectarian gatherings are excluded.

Plan your visit