Musée Le Secq des Tournelles — Attraction in Rouen

Bumped by this Musée by mistake and i was glad i did.

Located in a 16th-century church, Le Secq des Tournelles is a museum dedicated to learning about wrought iron, as it houses the largest collection of wrought iron items, including locks, knives, candlesticks, intricate keys, pots, and other pieces, numbering 8,000. ; Do not hesitate to visit it and learn about the skills of the iron industry and how its use has developed.

The parish of Saint-Laurent was abolished in 1791 in favor of the neighboring parish of Saint-Godard. The disused Saint-Laurent church was then used by the Jacobins club.

Sold as national property on January 4, 1803 to an individual, it became a shed and stable and remained in private hands until the end of the 19th century.

In 1891, the owner of the building, the notary Paul Courcelle, wanted to destroy it to build a residential building, but the city hesitated to give its consent. The patron François Depeaux proposes to buy the church, on the condition of having the enjoyment of it for 99 years, probably to install a museum of the Impressionists there. But the Commission of Historic Monuments is opposed to it, undertakes the classification of the old church (1914) and expropriates the owner[6]. In April 1892, Jean-Eugène Durand captured the state of the building on film.

In 1893, it was bought by the city of Rouen. The Rouen architect Lucien Lefort then intervened to carry out major repairs (underpinnings, windows, doors, balustrades) so that the museum, on the occasion of the Normandy millennium celebrations in 1911, hosted an exhibition there. Norman art and archaeology.

The old church of Saint-Laurent has been classified as a historical...

As a young mother, visiting this museum was a poetic and unexpected pause in the whirlwind of daily life. I stepped into this former Gothic church with my child nestled against me, soothed by the solemn silence and the gentle light filtering through the stained glass.

The space moved me deeply: it holds thousands of forged iron objects, from the humblest nail to the most delicate door knocker. Each piece seemed to carry memory, craftsmanship, and gesture. It’s a museum devoted to simple, useful things—shaped with care and precision—just like a mother’s everyday gestures.

The contrast between the coldness of iron and the warmth of the space reminded me of the tender strength one develops through motherhood: the care, the attention, the quiet perseverance. I felt as though I had entered a sanctuary of living objects, each with a story and a soul.

And there was a certain magic in watching my baby look up, mesmerized by the suspended shapes, the dancing shadows, the rusted surfaces glowing in the light. It was a meeting with the past, yet a moment suspended in our very present.

I experienced this museum as a celebration of everyday artistry—the kind that protects, shapes, and welcomes. A beautiful lesson in humility and silent beauty.

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For those interested in metal craftsmanship this is an absolute must visit Museum. The level of skill and artistic effort shown in the production of so many of the obviously hand made exhibits, is simply breathtaking. Who would have thought that 17th, 18th or 19th century locks and keys could be so elegant or so intricate? This has to be the finest collection I have ever seen.

The range of exhibits on display covers something from almost all aspects of everyday life from tableware to tools or warfare to early medicine. There is something for all interests here. Best to allow yourself several hours to soak it all in.

I have pictures but the lighting can be tricky. I wish I had allocated at...