Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Theodore Calbet Museum is housed in an old bourgeois half-timbered house of the seventeenth century, located in Grisolles en Tarn-et-Garonne. Founded in 1938 by the Occitan writer and poet Théodore Calbet, with the support of Mayor Joseph Marceillac, it aims to preserve local culture and traditions. The collections, enriched by donations from the population, cover objects ranging from prehistory to the twentieth century, reflecting regional daily life.

Between 1941 and 1980, the museum remained closed, causing the places and collections to deteriorate. Collective mobilization in the 1980s allowed its reopening in 1988, after renovation work. The façade and roof of the building were listed as historical monuments in 1950. Since 2002, the museum has also included contemporary exhibitions, revisiting the notions of heritage and territory.

Theodore Calbet (1862-1949), a teacher and member of the Academy of Montauban, devoted his life to writing and preserving the Occitan heritage. The museum houses remarkable pieces, such as a Gallo-Roman marble head of the 2nd century, as well as a reconstructed workshop for the manufacture of sorghum broom, emblematic activity of Grisolles until the 20th century.

The collections include Neolithic tools, portraits of the Lights, 19th-century toys, and musical instruments. The museum highlights objects related to archaeology, ethnology, religious art, and natural sciences. It is labeled "Musée de France" and continues to play a major cultural role in the region.

Since 2016, under the direction of Marie Delanoë, the museum has pursued its mission of valuing heritage while opening up to contemporary artistic projects. Its history reflects the commitment of the inhabitants and institutions to safeguard a unique cultural heritage, anchored in the territory of Tarn-et-Garonne.

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