[review] Exhibition: Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry at the Château de Chantilly
Apparently, it would be easier to meet the Pope or the President of the United States in person than to see the manuscript Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, carefully kept at the Musée Condé in Chantilly. Even researchers struggle to access this treasure.
But we are very lucky because right now an exceptional exhibition is being held dedicated to Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry. This presentation, running until October 5, 2025, is a major event in the world of medieval art.
A truly exceptional manuscript finally unveiled
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry represents one of the absolute masterpieces of medieval illumination. Commissioned around 1411 by the Duke of Berry from the Limbourg brothers, this manuscript had only been exhibited twice before. The rarity of this public showing makes the event all the more precious for art and history enthusiasts.
The manuscript contains 66 full-page paintings of remarkable artistic quality. The famous calendar miniatures, true testimonies of medieval life, offer a striking visual journey between aristocratic and peasant scenes. The fineness of the details and the brilliance of the colors, preserved after six centuries, bear witness to the genius of the miniaturists and illuminators.
Since the manuscript was created by different artists over a very long period, the exhibition allows visitors to follow throughout the journey how the Très Riches Heures have always been known and admired, and a source of inspiration for other books. It also situates the book in its artistic and political context, and provides more information about the Duke of Berry, a bibliophile and an important prince.
It is exceptional to see so many codices, so well preserved, loaned by museums from around the world.
Seeing the original folios allows us to appreciate the work of the miniaturists and illuminators even more because everything is tiny and yet the faces, the dogs’ fur… are full of details.
A room too small for this masterpiece
The exhibition is held in the Salle du Jeu de Paume, unfortunately too small for the interest the manuscript generates. I went on a Wednesday at lunchtime and the few people there crowd together to read the tiny explanations and move from one folio to another. The cramped conditions make people nervous and rude. You don’t have time to look for 5 seconds before another tourist is already breathing down your neck trying to zoom in with their phone. Phones are out to show “I was there” while high-definition scans are freely available online.
For the first time since 1416, the six books of hours commissioned by the Duke of Berry are present at the same time in the same place. You can marvel at the “Belles Heures” which were the subject of a recent exhibition in New York during their restoration. The manuscript was subsequently bound in several volumes to ensure its conservation; only one volume is exhibited here. But let’s be glad we don’t have to go to New York to see it.
These books of hours, cousins of the Très Riches Heures, are placed somewhat aside; but instead of attracting the crowd, it has the opposite effect: everyone focuses on the manuscripts along the wall and pays no attention at all to the books of hours!!
The most important part: the folios of the Très Riches Heures representing the 12 months of the year are displayed vertically, held by very thin transparent threads to avoid damaging them. And of course, you can look at the front and back. But the space is so small that it’s an extremely stressful experience; you don’t dare stay too long in front of the folio because it completely blocks the flow of traffic, and yet you need time to appreciate the details.
In a small corner there is a facsimile of the Très Riches Heures. It’s a real shame because it’s one of the rare times you get the impression of leafing through the Très Riches Heures and realize its full richness, but you’re jostling in less than a square meter because there are two small screens right next to it about the restoration of the manuscript. The poor restorers: so much work for it to be presented briefly on two barely visible screens, without English subtitles. Fortunately, there is an immersive-style video that shows all the details found during the restoration through scans, which was very interesting.
Some explanations are printed on the wall in the main room, but in a gold color so illegible given the lack of light in the room that I had to take photos of them to read them better on my phone later.
In short, I am extremely disappointed by the size of the room and the staging. Even though the explanations are numerous and interesting, the conditions do not allow you to take the time to read them properly. And I don’t really understand the choice not to highlight the other books of hours more; they have fewer explanations than the books along the wall, so if you’re not careful, you’ll be tempted to skip them. Moreover, it wouldn’t cost them anything to put up larger explanations so that several people could read them at the same time while waiting for space in front of the folios to free up. Really micro-details, micro frustrations that accumulate when the manuscript deserves more respect.
Compared to the scale of the exhibition and the space given to the Belles Heures by the MET museum in New York (you can check out some videos online to get an idea of the staging), you might think the Très Riches Heures are less important.
A quick additional note: only the two notebooks were unbound (this concerns only the calendars); you won’t necessarily see the original folio of the zodiac man because it remains attached to the bound book, and the book will be opened to a specific miniature that changes every 15 days. The folios had already been restored before the exhibition, which is why they are in impeccable condition. However, they will be rebound after the exhibition, and we probably won’t see them again in our lifetime.
Practical Information
Dates: June 7 – October 5, 2025
Venue: Salle du Jeu de Paume, Château de Chantilly
Admission:
- Château + exhibition ticket: €21 (reduced rate €17.50)
- Park + exhibition ticket: €12 (reduced rate €10)
- Free for children under 7
Advance booking is strongly recommended given the exceptional crowds. The exhibition attracts an international audience, confirming the cultural significance of the event.
Visiting Tips
You can take the TER / RER D towards Chantilly-Gouvieux. From there, a free local bus will drop you off right in front of the château.
Note that there aren’t many TER / RER / buses; I had to wait 30 to 45 minutes for each mode of transport. So if there’s no bus between the château and the station, you’ll have to either walk for 35 minutes or take an Uber. The public transport journey from Paris is very long and painful; if you have a car, I think that’s preferable.
People become very rude in such a tight space, so I recommend coming early in the morning.
This exhibition will likely remain the major artistic event of 2025 in France. So despite less-than-ideal conditions, for medieval art enthusiasts and heritage lovers alike, this is an exceptional opportunity not to be missed.
