The Hiéron museum is located in the town of Paray-le-Monial, in Saône-et-Loire.
Dedicated to sacred art, the establishment was created at the end of the 19th century by the Jesuit religious Victor Drevon and Baron de Sarachaga.
It is housed in a building designed especially for this purpose and built from 1890 to 1893, which includes a large octagonal room, topped with an Eiffel-type frame. This space overlooks four bright galleries surmounted by large metal windows.
The site benefited from a total renovation before reopening in 2005.
Due to the very history of Paray-le-Monial where Christ is said to have appeared in the 17th century, the paintings and sculptures constituting the original collection of the museum are particularly related to the theme of the Eucharist.
Thus, until recently, the major pieces in the collections came from the Italian, Spanish, German, French and Flemish schools with paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Examples include "The Levitation of Saint Thomas of Cori" by Cavallucci (1786) or a "Church Interior" by Van Steinwick the Younger (1580-1649).
Older, there is also a tympanum from the church of Anzy-le-Duc (12th century) or a terracotta statue, the "Smiling Christ", from the 16th century.
However, since 2005, the establishment has kept and presented an exceptional work, "Via Vitae", that is to say "Chemin de Vie", created by the jeweler artist Joseph Chaumet, a Parisian goldsmith (1852-1928). Made in 1904, classified as a "National Treasure", the monumental work (2.70 m high and 3 m wide) weighs 3 tons and evokes the main episodes of the life of Christ via some 140 gold and ivory figurines without counting 195 diamonds and 288 rubies depicting the host at the top…
Finally, since 2005, a larger share has been reserved for contemporary artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, thanks to donations (paintings by Cornelius) or acquisitions.
Temporary exhibitions, conferences and workshops are regularly programmed.
Open daily in July and August, Wednesday to Sunday the rest of the year. Free admission. Information on +33 3 85 81 79 72.
