Maison Tavel

How to get there

Maison Tavel is located in the Vieille Ville of Geneva. This is easily accessible on foot from Place du Neuf and Rue du Marché. The Maison is situated just a few metres away from St. Peters Cathedral.

Oldest Residence in Geneva

Maison Tavel is the oldest private residence in Geneva. It was inhabited by the Tavel family between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 15th century. This house is a prime example of medieval architecture of Switzerland.

Unfortunately the house was destroyed by a fire in 1334. Towards the end of the 17th and 18th centuries, many architectural changes took place in Geneva.

In 1963 the city of Geneva purchases Maison Tavel, reconstructs it completely and turns it into a museum. In 1979 archaeological excavations took place with the discovery of many ancient and historical objects such as the vestiges of an 11th century tower.

The Museum of Urban History and Daily Life offers an opportunity to learn about the urban evolution of the city and different aspects of the past life of Swiss Inhabitants dating from the middle ages until the 19th century.

5 Floors with different Exhibitions

The Museum is composed by five total floors, out of which two are underground.

On the ground floor you will be exposed to some preserved 16th century floor tiles, and medieval objets, which portray the influential powers of Medieval Geneva such as the Counts of Geneva, the Counts of Savoy and the Bishop of Geneva.

The first floor presents pieces of ironwork such as doors and doorknockers dating between the 16th and 18th century buildings. In the smaller room in the first floor you will see four 18th century paintings that are representations of Geneva.

The second floor holds twelve rooms to present in which the way the apartment was during the 18th century. This includes the living room, the study room, the bedchamber, the turret and the kitchen.

Level three is my favourite part of the museum, because it contains the Magnin Relief Map. The Map was designed by the architect Auguste Magnin over a period of 18 years. This Map is supposed to demonstrate the way in which Geneva was before the destruction of its fortifications in 1850. This map has been created in metal, and it honestly is a mesmerizing piece of work.

Underground are the Vaulted Cellars. These cellars date from the 12th century and are a portrayal of Roman Cellars in Geneva.

Level -2 is a room dedicated to the temporary exhibitions that include various paintings and photographs.

Worth a Visit

If you find yourself in Geneva then you must definitely visit this fantastic museum. It certainly is different from the usual museums because you really are fully immersed into the history of the city by entering the oldest inhabited residence of Geneva.

Location: Rue du Puits-St. Pierre 6

Entry: Free entry to the permanent exhibition and 5 CHF to temporary exhibition.

Times: Tuesday-Sunday 11AM-6PM