Musée municipal de Semur-en-Auxois

Housed in the former 17th-century Jacobine convent, the Semur-en-Auxois museum presents exceptional collections in their original museography. Following the revolution, the building was disused and then reinvested in 1833, at the instigation of sub-prefect Larribe, who suggested that a school of Drawing, Sculpture and Architecture be set up there.

To support the school's teaching, painted and sculpted works were collected from donations. With the aim of developing popular education, the nascent collection was opened to the public.

In 1836, the town council decided to create a museum which, thanks to the ongoing support of sub-prefect Larribe and deputy Vatout, saw its collections enriched by donations from artists. In 1884, for example, the Parisian sculptor Augustin Dumont bequeathed part of his studio collection to the town of Semur; among the original models is the plaster cast of the statue of the Genius of Liberty surmounting the Colonne de Juillet on the Place de la Bastille in Paris.

The museum was fitted out in successive stages: in 1864, 2 exhibition rooms were created on the 2nd floor, one of which, with overhead lighting, became the Fine Arts gallery; in 1866, the 1st floor was specially refurbished to house the palaeontology and geology collections deposited by three enthusiastic members of the Semur Science Society, Messrs Collenot, Bréon and Bochard. In the spirit of a cabinet of curiosities, an area dedicated to zoology was also created.

All these examples illustrate the richness and diversity of this museum, which is one of the only ones in France to offer visitors the chance to discover previously unseen collections in a partially preserved 19th-century museography.

THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS :
> PALEONTOLOGY AND GEOLOGY: The paleontology and geology gallery contains more than 10,000 specimens from the Lower Jurassic period, the stratotype of which is at Semur-en-Auxois. It retains a unique charm, reflecting the encyclopaedic spirit of the 19th century.
> ZOOLOGY: A zoology room featuring shells, fish and naturalised animals, offering a panorama of local fauna and more exotic lands, is a veritable cabinet of curiosities.
> ARCHAEOLOGY: The archaeology room contains Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Gallo-Roman and medieval artefacts, including votive offerings (mainly from the Sources de la Seine), statuettes, weapons, tools, crockery, glassware, jewellery, ceramics and architectural decorations.
> PAINTINGS: A medieval mural painting of Saint Christopher and a collection of paintings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries spread across the different levels of the museum. The Beaux-Arts gallery on the 2nd floor features works by Vignon, Bouhot, Nesle, Boulanger, Raverat, Rémond, Vallayer-Coster, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot...
> SCULPTURE: A collection of original 19th-century plaster casts (by Dumont, Dampt, Travaux, Creusot, etc.) and medieval and Renaissance architectural and decorative elements from the houses and convents of Semur-en-Auxois and its collegiate church enhance the museum's rooms.
> MANTEL PANELS: In 1970, collector Edmé Huchon donated a collection of 79 mantel panels, known as taques, to the Musée de Semur. Their decorations and shapes provide information about who commissioned them and when they were made (from the 15th to the 19th century).

THE SHOP
The museum shop offers a selection of books and objects related to certain collections of the museum, the town and Burgundy.

THE PROGRAMME
Throughout the year, the Semur-en-Auxois museum develops a programme designed to satisfy all kinds of visitors: self-guided or guided tours (for individuals and groups of 4 or more), themed tours, temporary exhibitions, educational workshops, lectures and concerts.

Booking is compulsory for groups (self-guided and guided tours) and for individuals wishing a guided tour.