Explore Robert Tatin's palace-museum!
Robert Tatin's palace-museum - Must-visits - Mayenne
Is it an Asian temple? A Mayan palace? A Maori fortress? In the heart of the Mayenne countryside, in Cossé-le-Vivien, sits the extraordinary and monumental palace-museum by the artist Robert Tatin.
Welcome to the Alley of the Giants
As soon as you enter through the gate, intriguing stone figures appear. This is your first contact with the world of Robert Tatin, who designed this Alley of the Giants to guide the visitor towards his improbable main creation. This great dreamer with a humanist sensibility took a total of 21 years to build his imposing palace, on a site that was home to the small farm he lived in from 1962.
A place populated with strange creatures
This is in fact a monumental sculpture, adorned with myriad details depicting figures, symbols and other creatures. Eyes wide, day trippers approach the entrance guarded by a giant dragon with gaping jaws. Once inside, they discover the meditation garden, a calm setting where strange creatures frolic around the pond. They wander through various little gaps to discover the adjoining rooms that house paintings, sculptures and ceramics by Robert Tatin. In addition to his training as a carpenter and his peerless building skills, Tatin also became known as an accomplished artist with a worldwide reputation.
The home of Robert Tatin, almost a work of art in itself
His numerous journeys, especially in South America, would allow him to forge his own imaginary path and lay the foundations for an incredible world that instantly grabs the attention of the observer. Further on is the owner's house, with its own extraordinary decoration, as well as a sculpture park that hosts work by contemporary artists. As you leave, take a small detour to the Gate of the Giants, through which Robert Tatin paid his own kind of tribute to the painters he admired. A truly disorienting outing!
