Musée du cloître de Saint-André-le-Bas de Vienne
City museum of Vienne in the Romanesque cloister of the former Saint-André-le-Bas abbey, with carved capitals and funerary inscriptions.
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About the museum
The cloister was built in the second half of the 12th century and is the only surviving part of the conventual buildings of the Saint-André-le-Bas abbey. The abbey is documented from 831; it was merged with Saint-Chef in 1774 and with Saint-Pierre in 1780, and its buildings were sold as national property in 1791.
The church and the cloister were restored between 1920 and 1938 under the direction of Jules Formigé; a museum of Christian art was then set up in the cloister. A major restoration of the cloister began in 2010.
The museum, run by the City of Vienne and holding the “Musée de France” label, displays carved capitals, some drawing on Antiquity and the Old Testament, as well as funerary inscriptions linked to the abbey and column shafts from the church’s bell tower. Two rooms of the former refectory host temporary exhibitions.
Highlights
- Romanesque cloister from the 12th century
- Carved capitals with plant and figurative decoration
- Funerary inscriptions and epitaphs from the abbey
- Column shafts from the church’s bell tower
- Tactile installation for visually impaired visitors
Permanent exhibition
- Cloître roman et collections lapidaires – 12th-century cloister with carved capitals, funerary inscriptions and column shafts from the church’s bell tower.
- Founded
- 1938
- Operated by
- Ville de Vienne
- Visitors per year
- approx. 11,872
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Students and groups of more than 15 people; according to a travel guide, also ages 18 to 25 and over 65. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for children under 18 and for school groups with their accompanying adults. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for visitors with disabilities and one companion, according to a travel guide. |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups (16+ people) | €2 per personReduced rate for groups of more than 15 people. |
| Ticket for the cloister exhibition (no reduced rate) | €3.50 |
| Passe ticket (museums and Roman theatre), full rate | €6 |
| Passe ticket (museums and Roman theatre), reduced rate | €4 |
| Combined ticket (museums and sites in Vienne and Saint-Romain-en-Gal) | €8 |
| Event ticket, per participant | €5 |
Free admission: Free admission for everyone on the first Sunday of each month.
Free all year round also for job seekers, recipients of the RSA (French minimum income) or the minimum vieillesse (minimum old-age pension), and members of ICOM.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to a travel guide, the site is accessible to people with reduced mobility; a tactile installation is available for visually impaired visitors.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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
| Audio guide | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Audio guide rental for €2. The winter morning sessions are open to groups by appointment. |
