‘Richelieu à Richelieu’: Major Exhibition Opens in Orléans, Tours and Richelieu

From 12/03/2011 to 13/06/2011

Event

March 12 to June 13, 2011

As prime minister to King Louis XIII and the most important figure in the France of his times, the Cardinal Duke of Richelieu (1585-1642) was a driving force in promoting the dominance of French culture and amassed a collection of hundreds of spectacular paintings, drawings and sculptures at his château in the town of Richelieu in Touraine.

This spring, the Beaux-Arts museums of Orléans and Tours, together with the Municipal Museum in Richelieu itself, will be presenting a series of blockbuster exhibitions in honour of this wily but remarkably astute and dedicated patron of the arts.

The shows focus on the Cardinal's château before its destruction in 1832: the architecture, furniture, paintings and gardens. The ‘tour de force' however will be the 12 huge paintings of the Galerie des Batailles, which were restored at Versailles and will be presented to the public for the first time. 

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours: Open every day except Tues, from 9 to 6; Musée des Beaux-Arts at Orleans: open every day except Monday, from 10 to 6; Musée municipal de Richelieu, open every day except Monday from 9 to 12 and 2 to 6. Closed May 1.