Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts, located in Tours (Indre-et-Loire), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Tours, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.3952, 0.6948
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098132
The former residence of the archbishops of Tours, this stratified palace combines Gallo-Roman remains, 17th-century classical elegance and Enlightenment refinement - today the setting for the Tours Museum of Fine Arts.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Backing onto Saint-Gatien's cathedral and guarding the banks of the Loire, the former archbishop's palace of Tours is one of those rare buildings that encapsulate two millennia of urban history. Its walls tell the story of the Gallo-Roman city, medieval ecclesiastical power, the splendour of the Counter-Reformation and the enlightened urbanism of the 18th century - a palimpsest of stone, each wing a separate chapter. What makes this site truly unique is the coexistence in the same complex of a Gallo-Roman tower still standing, a 12th-century main building, two superimposed palaces from the 17th and 18th centuries, and classical stables. Nowhere else in Touraine can you see such a density of architectural layers in a single glance. The inner courtyard, shaded by hundred-year-old cedars, offers a breathtaking view of these eras brought together in unexpected harmony. Converted into a fine arts museum in 1905, the building now houses collections of unsuspected quality: Italian, Flemish and French paintings, sculptures, period furniture and objets d'art are displayed in rooms of majestic proportions. Visiting this museum is as much about contemplating the paintings as it is about the setting in which they are housed - the wood panelling, French parquet floors and monumental fireplaces are all part of the experience. The garden, laid out in terraces on the ancient Roman ramparts, offers a bird's-eye view of the city and is one of the most attractive walks in Tours city centre. Between the carefully tended flowerbeds and the remains of the ancient walls, visitors will find themselves in an area where botany and archaeology meet with a grace that is typical of the Loire region.
Architecture
The architectural complex of the former archbishop's palace of Tours is spread over several terraced levels, backed by the remains of the Gallo-Roman enclosure, of which the south-western corner tower, several metres high, remains the most spectacular witness. This Roman tower, consolidated and integrated into the medieval building fabric, is one of the rare examples of in situ conservation of an ancient fortification in the centre of Touraine. The eastern main building, which dates back to the 12th century, is typical of late Romanesque architecture: thick walls, windows with soberly moulded lintels and compact volumes organised around a functional layout. Opposite it, the seventeenth-century palace, built under Bertrand d'Eschaux, features a classically proportioned facade with regular bays, carefully designed window surrounds and a French-style slate roof. The Palais des Lumières, built between 1753 and 1755, adopts a more delicate architectural vocabulary: facade dividers, slender crossbeams, moulded cornices and interiors with exquisite Louis XV woodwork. The 1775 entrance gate, crowned by a triangular pediment and flanked by Doric pilasters, marks the transition to Neoclassicism and serves as an urban signpost for the entire estate. The terraced garden, structured around the ancient ramparts, harmoniously complements the built architecture with a planted layout dominated by remarkable Lebanese and Atlas cedars, planted in the 19th century.
Related Figures
Jean de Bernard — archevêque de Tours au XVe siècle, constructeur d'un corps de logis entre l'Officialité et la tour romaineBertrand d'Eschaux — archevêque de Tours au XVIIe siècle, maître d'œuvre de la reconstruction classique du palais achevée en 1658Rosset de Fleury — archevêque de Tours, commanditaire du second palais construit de 1753 à 1755Charles VII — roi de France résidant fréquemment à Tours, contemporain des premières grandes campagnes de construction médiévaleCardinal Richelieu — personnage influent sur l'épiscopat de Bertrand d'Eschaux dont il était proche
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts located?
Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts is located in Tours, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts built?
Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts open to visitors?
Ancien archevêché, actuellement musée des Beaux-Arts is currently closed to visitors.