Mariemont estate has known a long and interesting history, from its creation as a hunting lodge in 1546 by Mary of Hungary (sister of Charles V) until the Industrial Revolution (18th and 19th centuries) when it was taken over by a family of industrialists, the Warocqués (1773-1917).

The Warocqué family’s arrival, with the development of the coal mining industry, injected new life into Mariemont. It was Raoul Warocqué, a high-profile figure on the financial and social scenes, who developed the estate as a space for arts and culture.

Alongside objects from the successive owners of Mariemont there are the pieces (furniture, weapons, coins, maps, works, etc.) collected by Raoul Warocqué and later curators to document the history of the family estate and the region.

This section is located on level -1 of the museum.