Come and discover one of the world's most important textile collections at the Lyon Museum of Fabrics and Decorative Arts!
At 34 rue de la Charité, in the 2nd arrondissement of the former capital of the Gauls, the MTAD encompasses the Museum of Fabrics and the Museum of Decorative Arts, documenting 2,000 years of textile history.
2.5 million pieces at the Museum of Fabrics, including rugs, tapestries and costumes, tell the story of 4,500 years of textile production, from the Egypt of the pharaohs to the present day, through Japan, China, the East, the Americas, the Netherlands and Italy.
The Museum of Decorative Arts, meanwhile, is a museum of European, Eastern, Chinese and Japanese collections, from the Middle Ages to the present day. It also has a range of interior decorations from the 18th century, with a large collection of objects, wood and metalwork pieces, tapestries and paintings.
A tip for visitors: as you walk around, take the time to fully understand the museum's rich testimonial to France's textile heritage, the development of manufacturing techniques, the history of silk, and the role of Lyon and the canuts, silk-weavers who were famous for their revolt over working conditions in the 19th century.
