Musée d'Angoulême

Over het museum

The museum’s collection begins in 1838, when the painter François Ringuet from Angoulême gave ten paintings to the town. A first museum opened in 1869 in the town hall, before moving in 1920 to the former bishop’s palace beside the apse of the Saint-Pierre cathedral, where it initially occupied only two old wings.

In 1934 Dr Jules Lhomme bequeathed to the town a very large collection of objects from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, as well as archaeological finds from the Charente. Works carried out between 1979 and 1983 opened the whole building to the public, and a complete renovation by the architects Stéphane Barbotin-Larrieu and Paul Gresham took place from 2005 to 2008.

On March 1, 2008 the former Musée des Beaux-Arts reopened as the Musée d’Angoulême. Three collections are given equal standing there: the archaeology and palaeontology of the Charente, the arts of Africa and Oceania, and Western art, whose display was reorganised by theme in 2018.

In 2023 the museum expanded its digital facilities (videos, sounds, virtual reality headsets). In 2025 the archaeological and historical collections of the Société archéologique et historique de la Charente were transferred to the museum. It is part of the MAAM, the municipal department that also includes the Musée du Papier, the municipal archives and the Artothèque.

Hoogtepunten

• Dinosaur sites of the Charente and archaeology from Neanderthals to the Middle Ages
• One of the most important collections of African and Oceanian art in France
• Collection of Western art presented by theme
• Scent trail and objects to touch
• Housed in the former bishop’s palace at the foot of the cathedral

Vaste collectie

• Archéologie de la Charente – On the first floor (ground floor), the route follows the geological history of the département, from dinosaurs to prehistoric cultures, then from Neanderthals to medieval burials.
• Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie – On the second floor, a selection of masks, ritual sculptures and everyday objects from the Maghreb, sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania.
• Art occidental – On the fourth floor, paintings, sculptures and ceramics from the 16th to 20th centuries are grouped by theme rather than in chronological order.

Opgericht

1869

Beheerder

Ville d'Angoulême

Directie

Emilie Salaberry

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Gratis toegang: First Sunday of each month

The ticket is valid all day. Free admission also for subscribers, recipients of minimum social benefits, cultural professionals, journalists and teachers preparing a booked visit. Activities during opening hours cost €2.30 extra.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility; reserved parking spaces are on rue Corneille. Folding seats, magnifiers, torches and wheelchairs are lent at reception on request, as well as ear defenders and blindfolds. Assistance dogs are admitted with proof. Tactile, sensory and French Sign Language tours are offered by reservation, and self-guided visits or visits with a mediator are organised for families affected by disability on Saturdays. The museum holds the Tourisme et Handicap label.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk
• Verschoonruimte
• Kinderfeestjes

Activity booklets, including one for ages 4 to 6, a toolbox to take into the galleries, a scent trail and objects to touch. Visits and workshops for children during the holidays and on the first Sunday of the month. Changing tables in the toilets, stroller-canes and lifts; a quiet space can be provided for feeding a baby. Birthday parties for children from age 6 on Wednesday or Saturday afternoons.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Entrance via rue Corneille, square Girard II, beside the Saint-Pierre cathedral. Accessible parking spaces on rue Corneille.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel

Museum shop. The website does not mention Wi-Fi for visitors.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen

The former bishop’s palace and its garden can be hired for cocktails, receptions, conferences, meetings or colloquia, with an optional tour of the collections. Quotes from musees@mairie-angouleme.fr.

Je bezoek plannen