Musée d'Orbe
City museum of the Pro Urba foundation in an 18th-century townhouse. The house and exhibition are being renovated; visits by appointment only.
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About the museum
Orbe's first museum opened in 1883 on the upper floor of the town hall. It showed natural history, archaeological and historical collections that local notable figures had assembled. It existed only until 1902; in 1922 it reopened in a room of the new school building on Rue du Grand-Pont.
A year later, in 1923, the association "Association du vieil Orbe – Pro Urba" was founded, which looks after the entire history of the town and the Roman site of Boscéaz. In 1947, Hélène Martin left the house at Rue Centrale 23 to the association. There the present Musée d'Orbe was established, presenting the town's history through objects and documents of important personalities; in 1983 the exhibition was redesigned for the 50th anniversary of Pro Urba.
For lack of volunteers, the museum closed in 2009 and has since opened only on request and for special occasions. In 2018 the foundation decided on a comprehensive renewal. The roughly 2,150 inventory entries of the collection were reviewed in 2022 and packed for storage; since 2024 the house has been under renovation. During the work, wallpaper from around 1830 and remains of a medieval corner tower of the town wall came to light. A new permanent route on episodes and personalities of the town's history since the Middle Ages is planned.
Highlights
- 18th-century townhouse with preserved 19th-century interior
- Collection of around 2,150 inventory entries on the history of Orbe
- Wallpaper from around 1830, discovered during the renovation
- House built on the remains of a medieval corner tower of the town wall
- Founded
- 1883
- Operated by
- Fondation Pro Urba
Admission & discounts
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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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Plan your visit
| Good to know | The goal of the renewal is that school classes, residents and visitors can get to know the town's history in a compact way; specific offerings have not yet been published. |
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