Musée de la Reine Bérengère, Medieval museum in Le Mans, France
The museum occupies three connected timber-framed houses dating from the 15th century, with carved wooden beams and carved architectural details visible throughout the spaces. These buildings sit in Le Mans's old quarter and display objects from daily life alongside the crafted elements of the houses themselves.
The museum takes its name from Queen Berengaria of Navarre, wife of Richard the Lionheart, who lived in Le Mans and established the Epau Abbey. The timber-framed houses date to a period when the town was a thriving commercial center with active craft trades that shaped its economy.
The collections reflect how people in the Sarthe region once worked with textiles, wood, and clay through items like clogs, ceramics, and woven pieces on display. Walking through the rooms, you see how ordinary household objects tell the story of local crafts and daily routines that shaped community life.
The museum sits in the historic old town of Le Mans, easily reached by walking through the narrow streets of the medieval quarter. The rooms inside are compact and feature stairs connecting the different levels and interconnected buildings, so take your time moving between spaces.
One of the building's carved wooden beams displays a ram unfurling its fleece, a reference to the wool trade that once thrived in Le Mans. This hidden detail hints at the craft traditions that shaped the town's commerce in centuries past.
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