The Museum of Wallpaper presents in the Mézières Castle an heritage often overlooked.
THE CASTLE OF MÉZIÈRES
16th century: first mention of a "domus fortis" (or fortified castle) in Mézières.
1756: Jean-Georges de Diesbach purchases the seigneury, including the castle; it would appear that he had used wallpapers in the 1770s.
The castle remained in the Diesbach family until 1871.
1787-1789: construction of a new wing on the northeast corner of the main building; work is carried out to preserve the architectural harmony of the front aspect of the castle. The interior decor is also meticulously changed throughout, including the use of the latest wallpapers from France.
1994: creation of the Foundation Edith Moret-Château de Mézières; with assistance from the Cultural Property Service of the canton of Fribourg, restoration work begins.
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE COLLECTION
In the 1770s, wallpapers, an English tradition, became incedibly fashionable in Europe, particularly in Paris. As a Swiss officer serving in the French army, Frédéric-François-Victor de Diesbach - who commissioned the work to the castle between 1787 and 1789 - was familiar with this trend in interior decoration. This explains his use of wallpapers in the new wing, as well as in those rooms which had undergone renovation during that period. Seldom do we encounter such a rich collection of wallpapers which have survived in situ, either in Switzerland or elsewhere. Given their rarity, these exquisite wallpapers rightly deserve protection and restoration.
