Musée de Cluny, Paris

About the Musée de Cluny

The Musée de Cluny, officially the National Museum of the Middle Ages, stands in the 5th arrondissement where Boulevard Saint-Michel meets Boulevard Saint-Germain, in the heart of the Latin Quarter. Its building is unique, combining the Roman baths of Gallo-Roman Lutetia with the late-15th-century mansion of the abbots of Cluny, one of the rare surviving civic buildings of medieval Paris.

The mansion was rebuilt under Abbot Jacques d'Amboise in 1485–1510 in Gothic style with early Renaissance touches; in 1515 Mary Tudor, sister of England's Henry VIII, lived here. In 1832 the collector Alexandre Du Sommerard bought it to house his collection of medieval art. After his death the state acquired the collection, and the museum opened in 1843.

What to see

• The Lady and the Unicorn — six 15th-century tapestries in a round room.
• The Roman baths — a high-vaulted frigidarium.
• The Pillar of the Boatmen — a 1st-century monument by Paris boatmen.
• Stained glass — including panels from the Sainte-Chapelle.
• Visigothic crowns — gold from the Guarrazar treasure.
• Limoges enamels and ivories — masterpieces of decorative art.

The Lady and the Unicorn

The museum's treasure is the cycle of six Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, woven around 1500. On a red ground strewn with flowers and little animals, a noblewoman appears with a lion and a unicorn. Five tapestries are generally read as the five senses, touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight, while the sixth, inscribed 'To my only desire', remains a mystery.

They hang in their own dim, round room to protect the colours from light. Benches sit in the centre, so linger to study the details: rabbits, dogs, birds and flowers woven with astonishing finesse. The tapestries have inspired writers, artists and filmmakers.

The Roman baths

Beneath the mansion survive Roman baths built when Paris was still Lutetia. Best preserved is the frigidarium, the cold bath hall with high stone vaults, one of the most impressive Roman interiors north of the Alps, where ancient finds are displayed.

Here stands the Pillar of the Boatmen, a 1st-century monument dedicated to Emperor Tiberius by the boatmen of Paris. It shows both Roman and Celtic gods and is one of the city's oldest monuments. From outside, the remains of the baths can be seen from Boulevard Saint-Michel.

Treasures of the Middle Ages

The collection includes crowns and crosses from the famous Guarrazar treasure of Spain's Visigothic kings, 4th–5th-century rock-crystal lion heads probably made for an imperial throne, and Byzantine ivories such as the 6th-century 'Ariadne' and a plaque showing the coronation of Emperor Otto II.

Separate rooms are devoted to Limoges enamels, gleaming copper reliquaries and altar plaques of the 12th–13th centuries, and to Romanesque and Gothic sculpture, including capitals from Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Saint-Denis. It also holds one of France's largest collections of stained glass, 230 panels from the 12th–14th centuries, among them pieces from the Sainte-Chapelle, as well as apostle statues from its upper chapel.

The mansion and the renewed museum

The Hôtel de Cluny itself is an exhibit: a turret with a spiral staircase, stone-mullioned windows, carved dormers and a small Gothic chapel with delicate palm-like vaults. A little medieval garden surrounds it.

In 2011–2022 the museum underwent a major renovation: the baths and chapel were cleaned, a new entrance building by the architect Bernard Desmoulin was added, and the displays were arranged chronologically from Gallo-Roman times to the 16th century. It's now easier to visit, with lifts and ramps.

Tips for your visit

Start in the Roman baths and follow the chronology to the Lady and the Unicorn, so the story of the Middle Ages unfolds in order. An hour and a half to two hours is enough to see everything calmly. An audio guide helps decode the tapestries and stained glass.

The museum pairs well with a walk round the Latin Quarter, the Sorbonne and Notre-Dame. Children usually love the unicorns, knightly scenes and Roman baths.

Photos without flash are allowed. Large bags and backpacks must go in the cloakroom.

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How to do it right

• Closed Mondays.
• Book ahead.
• Free under 18.
• Quieter mornings.

Questions