Mariana Museum
In a peaceful, contemporary atmosphere, an exceptional archaeological collection testifies to the history of Mariana, brought to life by multimedia.
1990
2024
1990
2024
1990
2024
1990
2024
1990
2024
The architecture of Pierre-Louis Faloci
A distinguished architect
An international architectural competition was launched in 2011 by the City of Lucciana to create the museum and research centre. The designated winner was Pierre-Louis Faloci. This architect was awarded the Equerre d'Argent in 1996 and the National Grand Prix for Architecture in 2018 : he founded and ran the "contemporary architecture and landscape workshop" at the National School of Architecture of Paris-Belleville. Full of architectural as well as visual arts and cinematographic references, Pierre-Louis Faloci particularly admires the gardens of André Le Nôtre and the spectacular framing techniques of filmmaker Andreï Tarkovski.
From one monument to another
Located at a distance from the Canonica on the edge of the ancient city, the stripped-back building it offers, with its taut horizontal lines as if levitating on its stilt base, echoes the monumentality and architectural sobriety of the Romanesque church. Interested in perspective, depth of field and the interplay of lines and gaze, Pierre-Louis Faloci designed a building anchored in its natural, archaeological and agro-pastoral environment. In addition, the building is made up of two interlocking blocks - one rectangular in plan, the other at right angles - which makes it possible to clearly distinguish the spaces devoted to research and those intended for the public. Pierre-Louis Faloci initiates a dialogue between the historical structure on the ground that is the Romanesque church of the Canonica, and a parallel, raised contemporary conception, the museum. At each level, a visual link is established between interior and exterior. Inside, the use of raw materials, with the preponderance of black, echoes the black box of the photographer or even the cinema. This design underlines by contrast the presence of the objects in the display cases by a subtle play of lights. The elegance of this building, designed by Pierre-Louis Faloci, is based on ambivalence: great discretion in the distant landscape is counterbalanced by a strong architectural imprint on its approach.
Museum spaces
Scientific and cultural activities untangled
The design of the museum's spaces aims to very clearly separate the scientific, technical and administrative functions of the establishment from the roles intended for the public. For the public, the visitor accesses the museum by a vast forecourt, decorated with a pool - a nod to the natural hydrographic network - which showcases the agricultural plain and majestic presence of the Romanesque church of Canonica. Entering the building, the visitor discovers the reception desk and shop area. Once again, visitors are struck by its opening onto the surrounding landscape. The main access to the museum route consists of an elegant staircase which, as it climbs, reveals the scenographic atmosphere. The visitor is offered a double visual feast: the panoramas towards the outside and inside the windows, wrapped in an atmosphere of chiaroscuro. To the east, a large temporary exhibition hall leads the view to the shoreline and Tuscan islands in the distance. The museum route unfolds on two levels and ends on the terrace-belvedere, directly accessible by a small outdoor amphitheatre, which embraces the entire Mariana region between sea, lake and mountains.
An open window on research in progress
Where the private and public areas meet, an educational workshop intended more particularly for young people offers a window onto the laboratory, creating an encounter with the archaeologists. The research centre stands on the ground floor and follows a square layout. Here again, natural light enters each room, apart from the stores, offering true working comfort. This centre houses offices, a relaxation area and documentation room accessible to all by appointment. At the end of the unloading bay at the back of the courtyard, a vast room offers great logistical convenience for preparing temporary exhibitions. The laboratory is organised into two large rooms provided with specialised equipment which allows the entire operational chain of study, treatment and preventative conservation of finds and sedimentary samples from surveys and archaeological excavations to be carried out. A glass partition separates the screening, washing and processing room from the study room without access to water. The collections management office is placed between the archaeological laboratory and the main storage room, which is under permanent climate control.
Some key dates
Mariana and Monaco
Shared worship
The destinies of Mariana and Monaco are linked by the mythical figure of Saint Devota. Indeed, according to legend, she was born around 283 at a place called Quercio, near the current village of Lucciana, and was martyred in Mariana in the year 312. Her remains were then loaded onto a boat to reach the Christian lands of North Africa, but the winds diverted her and she ended up in the Vallon des Gommates in Monaco, where the saint was finally buried.
Lucciana honoured by the Principality of Monaco
As such, Lucciana and Monaco share a common history under the aegis of Saint Devota, patron saint of Corsica and the Principality of Monaco. In 2003, Prince Rainier III of Monaco donated a reduction of the sculpture of Saint Devota made by Cyril de la Patellière and honoured the Fiera di a Canonica with his presence accompanied by his son, Albert. In 2009, the two towns were officially twinned and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II symbolically laid the first stone of the Mariana Museum. Then, in 2015, he named Lucciana the counter-quay of Port Hercule, at the heart of Monaco's economic and tourist activity. In return, the mayor of Lucciana then added the name of Prince Rainier III of Monaco to that of the museum.
The people of Monaco and Lucciana united in the Faith
Each year, religious ceremonies, ordered by the brotherhoods to honour Saint Devota, allow the people of Monaco and Lucciana to commune together. And so, on 27 January in Monaco, fellow Luccianians take part in the solemn procession on the Rock and attend the blessing of Palace, City and Sea. The following Sunday, in Lucciana, Saint Devota is celebrated during mass. Finally, on Pentecost Monday, the two communities come together again in Lucciana during the procession of Saint Devota and the mass delivered at the church of Santa Maria Assunta known as A Canonica.
Unite two museums
Founded in 1902 by Prince Albert I, the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology is the oldest scientific institution in the Principality of Monaco. As a pioneering institute, its scientific dimension has allowed it to span the centuries. The Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology in Monaco has, from its origin, not only had the mission of scientific production through excavations, research, studies, and publications, but also of popularization through diverse exhibitions and outreach activities. Its innovative and interactive museography enables visitors to experience the scientific approach of prehistorians and to grasp, through investigation, the archaeological experience. In line with the established relations between the Principality of Monaco and the City of Lucciana, the archaeological site museum of Mariana and the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology in Monaco are united by a partnership agreement that aims to establish a lasting scientific and cultural cooperation in the service of researchers and the public.
Photo credit : Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of Monaco