The Palais Jean de Bourbon, Museum of Art and Archaeology, is a rare example of a flamboyant gothic seigniorial dwelling with vast ceremonial rooms decorated with monumental fireplaces. It houses the most important works of medieval sculpture from Cluny, coming from the town and the abbey.
Not to be missed : the full-scale reconstruction of part of the Great Portal of Cluny III (tympanum, lintel, voussoirs, jambs), a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture, and its film. The old library preserves rare printed material inherited from the Cluniac library. From the Palace, you can access the belvedere of the great abbey church, the remains of its nave and its five naves, the great courtyard of the abbey, between the Saint-Hugues hostel (11th century) and the Palace of Pope Gelasius.
A tactile reader will allow you to browse through some of the emblematic pages of the books in the museum’s former library, the oldest of which dates back to 1492 !
