Scheduled for 2026, the reopening of the Vendôme Museum was debated during the community council of December 4, 2023. Several elected officials from the Communauté d’Agglomération Territoires Vendômois (CATV) warn of the cost that such a project represents, for the moment only driven by public funding, according to La Nouvelle République.
Located in the Régence building in Vendôme (16,000 inhabitants) in Loir-et-Cher, the museum has been closed since September 2022 in preparation for being moved to building H in the Rochambeau district. The Régence building was in fact sold for 1.7 million euros to the luxury company Louis Vuitton, which will install a leather goods workshop there; which makes certain elected officials say that the operation is not very profitable because the move will cost 9 million euros, financed by the City (41%), the State through the Drac (40%) and the CATV (19%).
Despite these debated subjects, the Cultural and Scientific Project (PSC) was adopted by elected officials with 87 votes in favor and 3 abstentions.
The Régence building is an imposing building classified as a Historic Monument, built at the end of the 18th century to house the Trinity Abbey. By moving the museum to another historic building in the Rochambeau district, the council has chosen to associate it with the heritage service and the tourist office. The museum will occupy the first and second floor of the building, covering an area of approximately 600 m². A 200 m² temporary exhibition room will also be set up on the ground floor.
Labeled Musée de France, the Vendôme museum has a collection of diverse works, combining archaeology, painting, sculpture, furniture, popular arts and contemporary art. Among the most remarkable pieces are a harp by Marie Antoinette and a beautiful still life by Willem van Aelst.
