Museum of Tapestry - TAMAT

The Centre de la Tapisserie, des Arts Muraux et des Arts du Tissu (Centre for Tapestry, Mural Arts and Textile Arts) is one of the five contemporary centres established by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in the field of textile art. The fact that it is established in Tournai is not insignificant, as the “capital” of Wallonie picarde was one of the country’s main centres of tapestry production in the 15th and 16th centuries. The TAMAT is housed in a beautiful mansion in neo-classicist style, the Museum of Tapestry of the City of Tournai. The collections of the TAMAT are an accurate reflection of the diversity of textile art. More than 250 items from 6 centuries of textile production are exhibited, from old 15th-century tapestries – remarkable heritage of the City of Tournai - over items from the post-war movement “Forces Murales” to contemporary works. The TAMAT also houses research workshops. Every year scholarship holders come here to work in total artistic freedom. A documentation and study centre welcomes researchers, students, teachers and the general public within the context of historical or biographical studies. Moreover, a conservation and restoration workshop, open to the public, enables visitors to gain an insight into the painstakingly slow and meticulous work done by the restorers, who will gladly answer any and all questions.