Musée Gadagne

Musée Gadagne
Hôtel Gadagne

Facade of the museum
Location within Metropole de Lyon
General information
Type Museum
Location 1 Place du Petit Collège, 5th arrondissement of Lyon, Lyon, France
Coordinates 45°45′51″N 4°49′39″E / 45.76417°N 4.82750°E
Inaugurated 1921

The Musée Gadagne is a museum located in the center of the Vieux Lyon, in the Saint-Jean quarter, in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon. It is composed of the Musée d'histoire de Lyon (Museum of Lyon History) and the Musée des marionnettes du monde (Museum of world puppets). The building was classified as monument historique in 1920. It was successively acquired by the city of Lyon between 1902 and 1941.[1] After the finding of its obsolescence, the museum closed in 1998 for more than ten years of renovation and expansion. It was re-opened on 12 June 2009.[2]

History

The museum is located in the Hôtel Gadagne, a building constructed in the early sixteenth century by the brothers Pierrevive (from 1511–1527). It underwent a redesign by brothers Gadagne (or Gadagni) in 1545. This rich Florentine family lived in Lyon in the early fifteenth century. But the disagreement between the brothers was such that they each occupied one of main two parts of the hotel, which prevented them from leading great live and giving many lavish parties. At the time, their huge fortune inspired a Lyon saying Lyon : "riche comme Gadagne" ("rich as Gadagne"). Thomas, one of the two brothers, offered to Louise of Savoy, a part of the ransom that allowed the release of King Francis I, a prisoner of the Spaniards after the battle of Pavia in 1525.

In the seventeenth century, the hotel was divided into small quarters, but was partially bought by the city of Lyon in 1902. Currently, it needs to use a ramp leading to the door with the first part of the building. Then there is a large majestic courtyard, decorated with a sink, flanked at the bottom by a gallery of passages bunk that allows traffic between both buildings on each floor.

On 19 January 1998, the city council decided to close the museum to undertake major expansion and renovation which was sometimes criticized,[3] which began that year. After ten years of closure and a major campaign of archaeological excavations, the museum opened its doors in 2009. It evolved from an area of 3500 sqm 6300 sqm.

Description

Entrance of the museum

Since 1921, the hotel has hosted the Historical Museum of Lyon. It shows the collections previously installed at the Hôtel de Ville, Lyon until 1857. This museum consists of 80,000 objects[4] in 30 rooms[3] spread over four floors. It traces the cultural history of Lyon since the Middle Ages until the nineteenth century, giving archaeological remains, sculptures, paintings, furniture, and pottery. There are also many maps, drawings and engravings to illustrate the growth of the city and the construction of its main buildings.

Since 1950, the museum of the world puppets, organized around the Guignol puppet, is also installed in Gadagne. The visit of the collections of 2000 puppets were once part of the course of the history museum in Lyon. After the extensive renovation of the 2000s, they are now grouped in a space museum composed of nine independent halls on the first floor.[3]

The third floor houses the small theater Gadagne of a 150-seat capacity, and the fourth floor provides access to the garden of the museum (700 m2).

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "Af fil du temps > Architecture > Musée de Gadagne" (in French). Vieux Lyon. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "Le musée Gadagne rouvre ses portes à Lyon" (in French). France 3. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Didier Rykner (2 July 2009). "Réouverture des Musées Gadagne à Lyon" (in French). La Tribune de l'Art. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  4. ↑ "Les Musées Gadagne" (in French). Culture Lyon. Retrieved 8 May 2010.

External links