The Museon Arlatan, the local ethnographical museum, is housed in Hotel de Laval-Castellane dating from the 15th century on the Rue de la République. The museum was created in 1896 by Frederic Mistral, regionalist poet, who did much to revive and then protect Provencale language and traditions and spent his Nobel prize winnings on the project. He created the collection to preserve a record of daily life in the area and the museum contains a huge range of exhibits from complete room reconstructions, local painting, historical costumes, as well as local furniture, tools, objects connected with religious traditions and superstitions, all illustrating life in Provence. It was always a dusty, romantic, disorganised sort of place

 

 Unfortunately it also has recently got some EC money and is spending it on reinventing itself into a “proper” museum with working loos and air-conditioning and audio-visual everything. This is slightly to be regretted because in the old days it was magnificently idiosyncratic with some delightfully crazy exhibits often accompanied by completely illegible little labels sometimes written in Mistral’s own hand. I remember fondly an egg with a deformity in the shell that had reputedly been laid under the influence of an eclipse of the sun. You get the picture, I hope. I have not checked whether this little gem has survived the upgrading. It would be sad if it has not. The renovation is taking an age and after a number of years is still not open (2016). The date of re-opening on the poster outside the museum itself show the wear and tear of being constantly renewed as well. One day it will be open and will certainly be worth a visit.

 

2023 Update. The restoration is finally finished and the museum is open again. There is good news and bad. The original collection that was housed (roughly) in the left half of the three story building (as you enter it) remains intact – including, I am delighted to say, the egg. Access in now through a new staircase on the right hand side of the building that was previously in poor condition and not used. The exhibit retains the old show cases and arrangements of the rooms.

 

The right side of the building has been restored (good) and as has the old chapel (good). However the new stair and interior has been given yet another Lacroix makeover so all the floors and wall are gaudily coloured glass. There is a glass and chrome lift. It feels like a bad nightclub.

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At  least the egg survives.