A big project for a small town.
The town of Saint-Gilles, located in the agglomeration of Nîmes, will host in 2025 a museum dedicated to medieval arts within its abbey church.
"
The idea for this museum has been germinating since 2015, and we are entering a more visible phase with the appointment of the team of architects which won the competition in June, from among the 92 projects presented
", explains
Vanessa Eggert to
Figaro
, the director of heritage for the city of Saint-Gilles.
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The project is complex with strong heritage constraints;
the abbey is classified as a Unesco world heritage site under the Santiago de Compostela routes and it was the fourth largest place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages.
The future museum will be located in the west wing of the abbey, above the cellar of the monks.
"
It will therefore be right in the city center and not just on an empty plot,
" explains Vanessa Eggert
.
It's like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from the past that you have to add new pieces to to make it look like something good.
"
"The abbey is truly the jewel of our city"
Vanessa Eggert, Director of Heritage for the city of Saint-Gilles
“
The museum will aim to present the territory and the city of Saint-Gilles, whose starting point is the abbey. Our city was built around buildings, whereas we generally find them lost in the countryside
, ”she continues. The project builds on the curiosity of visitors. “
With its immense facade, the abbey is adorned with magnificent details and sculptures. It naturally calls for questions from visitors and locals
, ”she says, assuring that this wing will provide an authentic experience for tourists. “
Compared to the other two wings, that of the cellar best represents the Middle Ages since we can see vaulted spans and ribbed crossings
”.
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A view of one of the museum's rooms designed by the Toulouse firm W-Architectures.
Cabinet W-Architectures
The operation must take place with respect for heritage, according to the plans of the W-Architectures agency, winner of the competition organized by the various right-wing mayor Eddy Valadier.
The museum will be spread over three floors and will offer a six-meter high footbridge above the abbey cloister, one of the future access points.
"
We have sought to position this major cultural facility in the fairest and most humble way possible in relation to the abbey, using local stone, with current geometries.
», Explains Xavier Leplaë, the architect in charge of the project, who wants to work on the relationship between interior and exterior and additions and existing.
The scenography is designed by Phillipe Maffre, with games of views, shadows and lights.
According to the architect, the scenography makes it possible "
to create a visual link between the objects on display and the near or far environment thanks to sets of views, oriented by a device of ventilated partitions also filtering the light
".
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An 8 million euro project
“
The project is part of a very impoverished neighborhood. Through it, we aim to make culture accessible to all by enhancing the attractiveness of the city center
", defends Géraldine Breuil at
Le Figaro
, the assistant for the Renovation of the historic center of the town of 14,000 inhabitants."
He It is also necessary to say, and it is not happy, that Saint-Gilles was the first city National Front of France between 1992 and 1995. There were many riots and the media followed closely the battle between the current mayor and Gilbert Collard for the town hall in 2014
”. This political history marked the town and divided the population, hence the idea, according to her, of creating a museum that brings culture and links.A vision shared by Vanessa Eggert: “
We notice that the inhabitants sometimes ignore the local history.
With this project, we want to create a feeling of belonging and to reach out to all types of population
”.
Read alsoThe attics of Westminster Abbey transformed into a museum
“
The total cost of the project is 8 million euros,
advance Geraldine Breuil.
That
is to say that this envelope includes the studies, the acquisition of the block and the works.
The municipality of Saint-Gilles should pay 20% of the budget, which is still significant for a small town, but there is also the department, the agglomeration and the region as well as the Drac which participate.
It must be said that the pilgrimage no longer finances Saint-Gilles as before.
"
A "duplex" church
For the moment, the collections are housed in the Romanesque house of Saint-Gilles, the town's museum and the former home of Pope Clement IV.
It is a listed building since 1862 and closed for five years.
“
The reception conditions are unsuitable: there is no heating or air conditioning, and access is limited
,” explains Vanessa Eggert.
We can no longer store the finds in the Romanesque house, so they are sent to the archaeological reserve of Nîmes.
»Among the latest finds, animal bones, skeletons, ceramics, broken sculptures or even remains of the abbey.
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The collections will be presented in the new museum, with an area of 1000 square meters.
The visitor will follow a carefully thought out route.
“Our church has the particularity of being a duplex
,” explains Vanessa Eggert.
The cloister leads to the 12th century crypt, which is not underground but built as a low church, where the tomb of Saint-Gilles is located.
"
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While the museum has no name, Géraldine Breuil is already imagining what he could offer visitors: “
There could be games of light and shadow, projections, models, themed rooms, but why not also stone carvings
”. The use of digital technology is also well thought out. “It
is important because it allows you to better project yourself into what this medieval city was. We just want it to be a fun experience for visitors,
”concludes the one who also thinks of inviting the outside world such as vineyards, to testify to the wine-growing attractiveness of Saint-Gilles at that time. "
This museum really wants to be a museum of sites and territories since we are close to the small Camargue and the costières, which are other places to visit
”.