The museum's collections

The 'heart' of Anne of Brittany

At this time, the Nantes and Loire-Inférieure Archaeological Society donated its collections to the Département. These included relics relating to the history of Nantes and the Loire-Atlantique, as well as archaeological artefacts from the Mediterranean and extra-European regions, which now became the property of the Département.

In 1896, these collections merged with those of Thomas Dobrée, a ship-owner and avid collector from Nantes. Through this bequest, the Département’s collections inherited old books, pieces of decorative art, graphic art, fine art and coins. The museum then moved to Thomas Dobrée’s estate which included a stunning private mansion and the Manoir de la Touche.

Since then, new acquisitions, donations from collectors and artefacts given by the State have enlarged the museum’s collections, making it a significant museum of art, history and archaeology.

 The Musée Dobrée currently counts over 140,000 artefacts in its collections.