The museum presents the first retrospective dedicated to the architect Alphonse Durand (1813-1882). Born in Mantes, this architect trained in the Fine Arts is part of the first list of architects of the Diocesan Building Service constituted by Viollet-le-Duc in 1848. His work on the churches of Vétheuil, the Andelys or the cathedrals of Langres, Coutances and Autun reveals the nascent adventure of the restoration of historical monuments. His work also bears witness to the official architectural taste of the Second Empire in the civil and religious buildings he built in Poitiers, Meaux and Limay. Bringing together the most beautiful plans and drawings drawn by Durand, the exhibition reveals above all his most ambitious work: the collegiate church of Mantes.
In parallel to the exhibition, an outdoor tour takes the visitor to discover the monuments that Durand restored or built near Mantes-la-Jolie. The course has 13 locations in the departments of Yvelines, Eure and Val d'Oise, in 8 cities (Andelys, Vernon, Gisors, Vétheuil, Limay, Mantes-la-Jolie, Port-Mort, Saint-Pierre-de-Bayerleul).
Sunday visits will be conducted by Mrs Roselyne Bussière, co-curator of the exhibition.
A tactile model of the Notre-Dame Collegiate Church is presented to allow people with a visual disability as well as all visitors to discover this great building differently.
A game booklet is available for children from 8 to 12 years old.