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Paris museum to be renamed for ex French president

One of the leading museums in Paris, the Musee D'Orsay, will soon carry the name of former president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing who oversaw its creation, the government announced on Monday.

Paris museum to be renamed for ex French president
Photo: Stephane du Sakatin/AFP

The transformation of the former Orsay railway station into a gallery, renowned for its impressionist and post-impressionist collections, straddled three presidents between the 1960s and 1980s.

It was Georges Pompidou (1969-1974) who saved the station on the banks of the Seine from demolition by giving it heritage status and outlining plans for a museum.

But it was the “determined work and engagement” of his successor Giscard that saw the project through, the culture ministry said in a statement.

The museum was finally opened in December 1986 by President Francois Mitterrand.

In a statement, Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot said Giscard was “a man of culture, passionate about arts and literature of the 19th century” who had carried out an “audacious act of heritage and architecture” by overseeing the project.

The official name will now be “Les Musees D’Orsay et de l’Orangerie Valery Giscard d’Estaing”, since the institution also includes the nearby Orangerie Museum which houses some of the most famous paintings by Claude Monet, such as The Water Lilies.

France is fond of naming its institutions after past presidents: the Centre Pompidou is France’s foremost modern art museum, while the National Library is dedicated to Mitterrand.

The Musee du Quai Branly, featuring indigenous art from around the world, recently added Jacques Chirac to its name.

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FOOD AND DRINK

Three things to know about the new Paris cheese museum

The Musée Vivant du Fromage is due to open its doors in early June, promising a unique immersive and interactive journey into France’s ‘culinary and terroir heritage’.

Three things to know about the new Paris cheese museum

Paris will soon be home to a cheese museum.

The venue, on Rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, in the fourth arrondissement, will open to visitors on June 3rd, sending – no doubt – clouds of cheesy odours wafting daily down the street.

It will be at the same location as the former restaurant ‘Nos Ancêtres Les Gaulois’ (Our ancestors the Gauls), with the objective of becoming “an essential meeting place” for cheese lovers, as well as both novices and professionals within the industry.

Here are a few things to know about the new cheese museum;

It will be interactive

Fans of camembert, chèvre, brie, morbier, Roquefort and brebis, assemble! The museum promises an educational and fully interactive tour of France’s historic cheese heritage, including the science and varied tradition of cheese-making.

The first portion will give an overview of the ‘culture’ of cheese. Then, you will learn about its history, as well as how it is made and finish off with a tasting (dégustation).

READ MORE: Best Briehaviour: Your guide to French cheese etiquette

There’s a dairy and creamery

Part of the tour features a fully functional dairy, where visitors can witness cheese being produced before their very eyes. 

There are two goals for this part of the museum – to help people discover the different regions of France and their iconic cheeses, as well as to encourage young people  to consider careers in the farming and dairy industry, which is enduring something of a recruitment crisis in France.

You will also be able to purchase cheese and souvenirs at the museum’s boutique.

It can host private events

The museum can be booked for private catered events for up to 150 people in the evenings, from 7pm, with or without the services of a cheese expert, who can guide guests through tastings and demonstrations. 

READ ALSO 7 tips for buying French cheese

Tickets are advertised at €20 for adults and €10 for children. For more information and to book a visit, log on to website of the Musée Vivant du fromage. Blessed are the cheese makers!

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