Mont de Piété Museum

A jewel of Flemish Baroque art, the Mont-de-Piété in Bergues was built between 1629 and 1633, based on plans by the painter, architect, economist, and engineer Wenceslas Cobergher.

Today, the museum is housed in this elegant rectangular brick building adorned with stone, featuring windows with low arches, a slate roof with multiple openings, and two richly decorated gables.

Designated a “Musée de France,” it houses a significant collection of paintings and drawings from the 16th to the 19th centuries, primarily from the Northern schools. Its centerpiece is “The Fiddler with a Dog,” part of the series of fiddlers painted by Georges de La Tour beginning in 1620.

Each year, the museum organizes one or two temporary exhibitions. This year, the featured artist is René LELEU (1911–1984), a sculptor originally from Lille who won the Prix de Rome in 1939. The museum participates in events such as Museum Night, European Heritage Days, Music at the Museum, and “Our Museums Have Taste.”

The upper floor is accessible only by stairs.

👉 Tickets can be obtained directly on site upon presentation of proof of eligibility for free admission granted to Friends of the Mont-de-Piété Museum, job seekers, teachers preparing for a visit, ICOM cardholders, art history students, students of the École du Louvre, and certified tour guides for historic monuments, tourist office staff, public and private schools in Bergues (including middle schools), adults and children from Bergues (under 18).