Château d'Oiron
About This Museum
The Château d'Oiron isn't your typical French castle dripping with gold leaf and royal history; it's a surreal and thought-provoking journey into contemporary art, all housed within a beautifully decaying Renaissance shell. You wander through grand, sun-drenched rooms where the walls are adorned with strange and wonderful installations that feel more like a conversation with the building itself than a static exhibition. It’s disorienting in the best way possible, a place where a giant, ghostly rabbit might be sketched on a wall or where you can listen to the whispers of an imagined past. This is not a museum you simply observe—it’s one you feel.
Collection Highlights
The 'Curios & Mirabilia' collection is the heart of it, featuring pieces like a sprawling library of fictional travelogues and Trompe-l'œil paintings that trick the eye. One of the most haunting is 'Le Grand Rabbit,' a massive charcoal drawing that seems to watch you from an entire wall.
Visitor Information
Wear comfortable shoes because you'll want to explore every nook, and don't be shy about opening drawers or interacting with the art—that's half the fun. It's wonderfully off the main tourist trail, so you can often have entire rooms to yourself for quiet contemplation.
Architecture & Building
A graceful yet slightly worn Renaissance château, all pale stone and classic lines on the outside, which makes the explosion of modern creativity waiting inside even more surprising.
Contact & Location
Address: Rue du Château, Oiron, Plaine-et-Vallées, Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France métropolitaine, 79100, France
Phone: +33 5 49 96 51 25
Website: Visit Website
