The Boucher de Perthes museum is the result of the merger of two 19th century collections: the museum of Abbeville and Ponthieu, founded in 1833 by the Société d'emulation d'Abbeville, and the former collection of Jacques Boucher de Perthes became a museum in 1872. Enriched over time by numerous legacies, donations and purchases, it is housed in the 13th century belfry, listed by Unesco, and in buildings from the second reconstruction since 1954.
Precious sculptures and paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries, important paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as works from regional schools of painting constitute the heart of the art collections. The museum also keeps a unique work by Camille Claudel and the important Alfred Manessier donation.
The archaeological section testifies to the past of the region from Prehistory to the Merovingian period, but also from Antiquity in the Mediterranean basin, while the natural history fund presents a rich collection of birds, some of which specimens date from the first half of the 19th century.
The Boucher de Perthes museum is closed for rehabilitation and extension works. During this period, the services of the Heritage Center prepare the construction and renovation site, as well as the sites of the collections, mediations and museography.
However, the museum remains open on request for groups. The museum opens exceptionally for the European Night of Museums and for the European Heritage Days. Public service: +33 3 22 20 29 69.
