Finally 100 Year Old Home Opened Again

Finally 100 Year Old Home Opened Again

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The 19th century town house of Louis Mantin was handed over to the central French town council of Moulins, over a century ago. Mantin was a rich bachelor gentleman of leisure, with no children to inherit his estate.

The local authorities funded a 3.5m Euro refit, which has returned the mansion to its original beauty. After Mantin died, in 1905, the home was shut up and had fallen into disrepair.

Mantin was born in 1851 in Moulins and had an unremarkable career as a civil servant. He inherited a fortune from his father at the age of 42 and thereafter gave his life up to pleasure, the arts and science.

Mantin constructed his home in the very centre of Moulins on the former site of a palace of the dukes of Bourbon. They had been local rulers and heirs to the Spanish and French royal houses.

Mantin established his personal museum of Egyptian relics, Neolithic oil-lamps, prehistoric flints and medieval locks and keys on the top floor. He decorated the mansion with paintings, imported tapestries and porcelain. He commissioned sculptures and wood-carvings.

He installed modern bathrooms, along with the electricity. Maud Leyoudec, assistant curator said "In the will, he said that he wanted the people of Moulins in 100 years time to be able to see what was the life of a cultured gentleman of his day. It was his way of becoming eternal."

Mantin left instructions in his will that in one hundred years time the townhouse should be turned into a museum. He said nothing about what should occur in the meantime.

One of Mantin's last known descendants, Isabelle de Chavagnac, was the main force behind ensuring the house re-opened. According to the will, the mansion would have been turned over to her had it not been converted into a museum once the century had elapsed.

Instead of desiring to take the possession of the house, she wanted Mantin's wishes to be fulfilled.

By threatening to act on her right in law to repossess the mansion, she coerced the local authorities into action. They found the money for the refit and the museum was opened to the general public in December 2010. Although 5 years behind schedule, the local council believes the museum will be one of their greatest tourist attractions.

About the Author:
Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's and founders of YouMe Support Foundation, providing high school education grants for children who are without hope. You can help in this really great project by taking a few minutes to check out the Sponsor a Student program at (http://youmesupport.org). It will change the life of some really needy kids in the South Pacific.



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