Labenche Museum

Brive-la-Gaillarde Museum of Art and History

The Musée Labenche reveals the history of Brive and its region from its origins to the present day, through no fewer than 15 permanent exhibition rooms.

It is one of only two establishments in the Limousin region to have been awarded the "Museum of France" label (recognition of its scientific value by the State). It is therefore one of our top 14 places to visit.

Labenche Museum : a bold and responsible site!

Presents the history of Brive and its region, from its origins to the present day.
Discover collections that are unique in France: 10 tapestries from the 17th century English Royal Mortlake manufacture, a piano that belonged to Claude Debussy, etc.
Suitable for schools: themed tours and workshops covering the whole school curriculum from prehistory to the early 20th century.
The museum's natural science collection is estimated at some 10,000 items, most of them insects.
In order to make its collections as accessible as possible, the museum is gradually putting them all online, whether they are on display or in storage.

The Musée Labenche collections :

A dense permanent collection :

As you travel through time and history, some 5,500 objects are revealed, making up the museum's 11 major thematic areas:

Nazism and despoilment: works of art with a tragic history
Prehistory and protohistory
From the Gallo-Roman period through the Middle Ages to the modern and contemporary eras
Tapestries
Fine arts and works of art
Illustrious men
Popular arts and traditions
Natural sciences
Numismatics and sigillography (the scientific study of seals)
music
furniture

Temporary exhibitions:

2 rooms of the museum are dedicated to temporary exhibitions and are accessible with the entrance ticket.
The museum also organises a number of exhibitions (free admission) at the Chapelle Saint-Libérale in the town centre: see the current exhibition here.

A Renaissance monument

The Hôtel Labenche was built around the middle of the 16th century, during the Renaissance, by a nobleman with local responsibilities granted by the King in terms of justice. His title "De la Labenche" gave its name to the building and thus, 5 centuries later, to the eponymous museum.

It had several owners and several functions, in particular that of minor seminary in the middle of the 19th century. Listed as a historic monument in 1886, it came under the control of the town of Brive-la-Gaillarde in the early 20th century.

Practical information :

Opening times:

The Labenche Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm.
Closed on Mondays.
Closed on January 1st, May 1st, November 1st, December 24th and 25th.

Admission rates

full price: €5.50
concessions and groups: €3.50

Free admission :

schoolchildren and students
jobseekers
recipients of minimum social benefits
disability card holders
ICOM card holders
working press or teachers

Guided tours à la carte!

Guided tours of the museum for adults can be arranged for groups of 10 or more, by prior arrangement only and subject to availability.
On request, the guide can offer a personalised tour.
Price: €3 in addition to admission fee
Duration: 1h30

Bon plan Discover local history at the Musée Labenche

If you're interested in local history, why not pay a visit to the Musée Labenche? You'll find everything you need to understand the area: accordions and Aubusson tapestries are all on display. A word of advice: keep your eyes peeled, you're in for a treat. And it starts as soon as you arrive, with the most beautiful renaissance building in Brive. What's more, admission is free every first Sunday of the month. So there's no excuse not to take a look.

Musée Labenche
26 Bis, Boulevard Jules Ferry
19100 Brive-La-Gaillarde
05 55 18 17 70
http://www.museelabenche.fr/