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You
enter a place where you will discover the City’s history , of his
origins to the life that one carries out to it today, let you tell about
Parthenay.
The museum’s collections are presented on two levels, around two models
animated, which restore, thanks to a setting in scene its and light, the
Parthenay’s history, Means-Age at the twenty century.
On
the first floor are the archaeological collections (ceramic, currencies,
concise) coming from the excavations undertaken in the city, begun in
1985. You will also discover there objets such as sculptures, chasubles
and paints, coming from the churches of Parthenay or the surroundings.
On
the second level are exposed the Parthenay’s earthenware, accompanied by
paintings, photographs or prints restoring them in the history’s context
of city at the Beautiful Time.
On
the first floor, around the model representing Parthenay with the Middle
Ages, imagine that thousand years ago, the lords of Parthenay chose an
easy site to defend. The Thouet’s loop and its rocky outcropas of the
eleventh century, occupied then was strengthened. At the thirteenth
century was built a castle.
The noble ones gave goods and revenues in order to build the houses of God.
Thus one built the Saint-Jean church, the church Nôtre-Dâme-de-la-Couldre,
seat of the archpriest, the Saint-Croix church, close to the Citadel’s
gate, and the large church of the downtown area, Saint-Laurent.
From 1202 to 1227, in order to protect it from the attacks of the french
king, all the city was strengthened, with the assistance of english king,
who paid revenues with his large vassal of Parthenay. Thus, the castle
entirely rebuilt barrel.
A
flourishing trade had settled in the city. The tanners of the St-Paul
suburb had specialized in the processing and the cleaning of the skins.
The tisserands of the St-Jacques district handled imported wire and wool
of all the area.
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It
was the time of the great religious festivals, or the great festivals of
youth.
With
the departure of the Parthenay’s lords, at the court of the king, the
end of the Middle Ages, a part of the luxury trade disappeared, but the
market of fabrics and the skins maintained a real richness in the city.
On
the second floor, observe these art objets if refined, coming from the
Parthenay’s earthenware manufacture. This company known as "
earthenware of art of Parthenay " was born in 1882, under the
association of Prosper Jouneau and Henri Amirault. It was produced there
fine earthenware and porcelains of decorations.
With
the establishment’s history are associated several names, such as
Edouard Knoëpflin, who directed the establishment of 1902 to 1907,
Frederic Pasquier, foreman and collaborator of the two creators of the
company, or Clémentine Pétrault, apprentie
with the earthenware manufacture as of the twelve years age, and which
ensured the direction of 1907 of it to 1910.
Successively,
until 1910, these artists courageously will fight to produce this ceramics.
The production of the " earthenware of Parthenay" ceased the day
before the war of 1914.
The
museum carries the name of the collector and art lover, born in Parthenay
on January 12, 1857, George Turpin. It was discovered a passion for the Gâtine,
it to put questions and was impassioned. Patiently, it recopied, collected,
saved many documents, private or public objects: electoral posters,
manuscripts of the war of Vendée, medieval potteries. It thus constituted
a true collection of the Citadel’s street.
George
Turpin died on October 16, 1928. His children bequeathed to the city what
constitutes the base of the open Municipal Museum in 1935 in the centre
town and since 1993, of the Vau Saint-Jacques street. |
