Cluny Museum

Cluny Museum, 14th- and 15th-century Gothic and Renaissance structure in Paris, built by Pierre de Chaslus, abbot of Cluny, and rebuilt by Jacques d'Ambroise. The site is that of the ancient Roman baths of Emperor Julian. Acquired by the nation after the Revolution, it was subsequently purchased by the antiquarian Du Sommerard, who installed his collection of art objects of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The city of Paris purchased the entire property at Du Sommerard's death (1842) and presented it to the state. The museum's 24 galleries display a variety of medieval works, with emphasis on carved wood, metalwork, textiles, and stained glass. A number of superb tapestries of the 15th and 16th cent., produced in Flanders and the Loire valley, are among the museum's greatest treasures.