In April, the museum section of l’Inguimbertine opened in Carpentras, comprising no less than 14,000 m² of sumptuous collections.
The heritage of Inguimbert
Joseph-Dominique Inguimbert was born in 1683 in Carpentras. Religious studies brought him to Aix, Paris and finally Rome, where he stayed for 26 long years. A man of religion but also of letters, a learned scholar, humanist and a visionary, he returned to his home town at the end of his stay in Rome. The town was then the capital of Comtat Venaissin and a papal state until the French Revolution.
Appointed bishop of the city in 1735, Inguimbert made the most of his comfortable income to further enrich his immense collection of manuscripts, prints and antique objects, and to build a vast Hôtel-Dieu which would welcome the needy and the sick.
It is this Hôtel-Dieu which now houses France’s only library-museum, whose name – l’Inguimbertine – pays homage to its founder. A place worthy of the immense collections bequeathed to the town by the bishop and other generous donors from Carpentras.
Key figures
940 works on display
55,000 ancient prints
220 incunabula
3,400 manuscripts, of which 300 are illuminated
1,200 paintings
500 sculptures
And much more!
Transformation of the Hôtel-Dieu
Please note
the reduced fare is available when you present your train ticket
The museum’s opening marks the culmination of 15 years of reflection, work and the relocation of countless heritage collections.
The first part of the building opened in 2017: a vast and bright library-museum, unique in France and spread over the ground floor of the Hôtel-Dieu with mezzanine areas. The refurbishment is the work of the architectural firm Atelier Novembre, which transformed former funeral parlours into Atelier 104 in Paris.
The Inguimbertine
The huge project was finished in April 2024, unveiling three large visitor areas on the first floor:
– Firstly the Historical Gallery, which exposes the unique yet little-known history of Comtat Venaissin, papal land from 1274 to 1791, and its capital, Carpentras. A historical timeline unfolds over 20 metres, putting local and world history into perspective.
– The Cabinet of Curiosities Gallery – in a scenography designed as an immersive experience, these cabinets plunge visitors into the world of the learned humanists of the 18th and 19th centuries, surrounded by books, paintings, antique objects and other curiosities. The mediaeval manuscripts are on display on rotation and interactive devices allow you to virtually leaf through rare prints and beautiful bindings.
– The Gallery of Fine Art – this section presents the acquisitions made after Inguimbert. The works of the artists of Comtat Venaissin can be found here, such as those of Duplessis, portraitist to the court of Louis XVI, those of the landscape artist Joseph-Xavier Bidauld and the orientalist paintings of Jules Laurens, among others.
Temporary exhibitions will soon be held at the museum.
Visitor information
L’Inguimbertine
180 place Aristide Briand – 84200 Carpentras
https://inguimbertine.carpentras.fr/en/
Open from Tuesday to Sunday, all year round except in January
Visits available in numerous languages (French, English, Italian, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Provençal)
Price: €8 per person, €12 with the temporary exhibition
Price for the year: €30
Group rates for 3 people or more
Press contact:
Kassandre FRADELIN
Agence Observatoire
T. +33 (0)7 66 54 16 73
kassandre@observatoire.fr
Margot Spanneut
T. +33 (0)7 66 47 35 36
margot@observatoire.fr
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