Christ in Majesty

The collections in the National Museum of the Middle Ages abound with Romanesque art. Sculptures, illuminations, frescoes, stained glass offer a glimpse into the various currents running through the creations of the time, from Catalonia to Saxony, from England to Sicily. The museum's visitor can also discover or rediscover the lapidary fund, particularly rich for the 11th and 12th centuries.

This fund permits the display of a panaromic view of the evolution of sculpture in Paris and in Ile-de-France at that time. The two most prestigious abbeys in Paris, royally endowed since the time of the Merovingians, are represented by a number of pieces.

The museum displays many capitals from the nave in the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés as well as Sainte-Geneviève abbey, destroyed during the first Empire. The museum also shelters marble capitals, sculptures, and Romanesque stained glass from the abbey church of Saint Denis.