Open the doors of the National Renaissance Museum
Overlooking the plain of the Pays de France, to meet the Chantilly forest, the National Museum of the Renaissance – Château d'Écouen invites you on a journey to the heart of the Renaissance. Its exceptional collections have made it possible to erect this architectural setting in National Renaissance Museum, hosting original exhibitions. The formal gardens open onto a vast panorama.
The castle now houses the exceptional collections of the National Museum of the Renaissance. The castle is for them an equally exceptional setting. You will discover, among other things, the famous XNUMXth century tapestry: the hanging of David and Bathsheba. The other levels contain other exceptional collections on the decorative arts: furniture, ceramics, painted enamels, weapons, measuring objects ...
A little history…
Property of a great Renaissance lord, Anne de Montmorency, who grew up in the privacy of François I and then prospered under the protection of Henri II, Écouen is not a house like the others. It inscribes in its stones the ambitions and the successes of a powerful man, patron and an esthete passionate about art. It embodies the modern vision of a lord who fought in Italy and promised to one day find on his land the dazzling he experienced in front of the transalpine palaces.
This ardent collector, often at the forefront of taste, was also the heir to a colossal fortune. He further increased it by a judicious policy of acquisitions, by his marriage to Madeleine of Savoy and by royal favor. When he died in 1567, he owned some 130 castles scattered throughout France. He is also the owner of two Parisian residences including his hotel in rue Sainte-Avoye, which he has endowed with a painted gallery by Nicolo dell'Abbate. All these places are the scene of reconstructions, arrangements, or even real architectural projects, like those of Chantilly castle (1559) or the stunning bridge-gallery of Fère-en-Tardenois, both designed by Jean Bullant. But Écouen remains his masterpiece.
The visit of the National Museum of the Renaissance is free, or guided. In order to appreciate the essence of the museum, a visit leaflet, distributed at the reception, proposes a discovery circuit in a minimum course of about one hour.
Discover the offers for virtual tours of the castle:
- For a general discovery of the castle, discover the video presentation
- Anne de Montmorency chapel
- The description and history of goldsmith bench
Useful information :
Museum opening hours :
every day except Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 30 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 45 p.m. (14 p.m. from April 00 to September 17).
Closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25.
Opening hours of the castle park:
Every day (including Tuesday)
8:00 a.m.-18:00 p.m. (19:00 p.m. from April 15 to September 30)
Access to the park is free. The park is forbidden to animals even on a leash.
Entrance fee to the museum :
Full price: 5.00 €
Reduced rate: €3.50
Group rate: 4.50 €
Rue Jean Bullant - 95440 Écouen
Such. : +33 (0)1 34 38 38 50
More informations: https://musee-renaissance.fr/
