The national commission for the award of the label Maisons des Illustres, meeting on November 19, 2019, awarded 2 new labels in the Grand Est: the Maison Édouard Salin (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and the Maison Verlaine (Moselle), which brings to 20 the number of houses labeled in the Great East.
House of Edward Salin/ Montaigü Castle
The House labeled is the castle of Montaigü, located in Laneuveville-devant-Nancy, and property of the Greater Nancy metropolis.
The castle was the home of Édouard Salin (1889-1970), archaeologist, ironmaster and collector who lived there from 1919 to 1970.
Engineer by training, he is passionate about the archaeology of Merovingian metals and devoted himself totally to it in 1935, conducting numerous excavations and research, culminating in the creation of the Centre de recherche sur l'histoire de la Sidérurgie in 1957 and the Iron History Museum in 1966.
The exterior of the castle has remained unchanged since the restoration following the fire of 1920, likewise, the interior decoration and collections have preserved their heritage integrity.
Édouard Salin had a passion for the house, using architect Pierre Lebourgeois to restore it and painter and decorator Adrien Karbowsky. The furniture of the XVIIIe and XIXe comes from family heritage, art deco orders, purchases from antique dealers and his personal collection from the Merovingian necropolis, which is kept in his bedroom.
In 1975, the donation of the estate to the city of Nancy, and of the collections and furniture to the Société d'archéologie lorraine and the Lorraine museum, was submitted to the public.
Since 2017, and its management by the metropolis of Grand Nancy, the castle is open 2 days a week from May to October, on a guided tour.
Practical information
Montaigü Castle – Edouard Salin House
167 rue Galtier 54410 Laneuveville-devant-Nancy
Open every weekend from early May to late September, from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 5pm
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Verlaine House
Second House labeled Verlaine in the Grand Est after the Auberge de Juniville in the Ardennes.
The House concerns the apartment located on 1er floor of the 2 rue Haute-Pierre in Metz.
The Verlaine family moved there in 1840, opposite the School of Engineering and Artillery where his father was stationed.
Paul Verlaine was born there on March 30, 1844 and spent his childhood there from 1849 to 1851.
Practical information
2 rue de Haute-Pierre 57000 Metz
Open every day except Monday
Free visit in the morning at 10am and 12pm and guided tour Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 15h15 and 16h30
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The houses of the illustrious in the Great East
The label Maisons des illustres
The Ministry of Culture created the Maisons des Illustres label in 2011. The ninth labelling campaign took place in November 2019.
The label is awarded to houses that preserve and transmit the memory of women and men who lived in them and have distinguished themselves in the political, social and cultural history of France, with respect for the values of the French Republic.
They make the link between local and national history, capturing the intimate and great narrative, passed down legacies and artistic creation.