À propos de ce lieu
Standing on the quiet Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre, just steps from St. Pierre Cathedral, Maison Tavel is the oldest surviving private residence in Geneva. Its Romanesque cellars date to the late twelfth century, but the imposing stone manor you see today rose after a devastating fire swept through the medieval city in 1334, forcing the wealthy Tavel family to rebuild their home as a fortified urban palace complete with a corner tower and a facade studded with carved stone heads. The City of Geneva bought the ageing building in 1963 and, after more than two decades of careful restoration, opened it in 1986 as the Museum of History of Geneva. Spread over six atmospheric floors, its rooms are filled with the everyday objects of Genevan life, from medieval doors and painted signs to furniture and ceramics, while the attic hides the museum's crown jewel, a vast metal relief model of the city as it looked before its ramparts were torn down.
À retenir
- 1334 year — A great fire destroyed the house, which was rebuilt soon after as the fortified stone manor seen today
- 1986 year — The building opened as Geneva's Museum of History, after the city acquired it in 1963
- 32 sq meters — The Magnin Relief in the attic, the largest metal city model in Switzerland, covers this much floor space
📍 Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 6, 1204, Genève