Start of lapidary collections 1830 (≈ 1830)
Creation by the Cloister Society.
1929 et 1937
Enrichment of collections
Enrichment of collections 1929 et 1937 (≈ 1937)
Contributions from Father Belbèze (Rennes).
1951
Official opening of the museum
Official opening of the museum 1951 (≈ 1951)
Under his original name.
2013
Ethnographic reservation
Ethnographic reservation 2013 (≈ 2013)
For reasons of conservation.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Père Belbèze - Prior of the Carmelites of Rennes
Giver of works at the museum (1929, 1937).
Marguerite Vidal - Museum curator
Child of Moissac, eponymous museum.
Origin and history
The Musée des arts et traditions populaires de Moissac finds its origins in the lapidary collection of the Société du Cloître, initiated around 1830. This first base was gradually enriched, thanks in particular to the contributions of Father Belbèze, prior of the Carmelites of Rennes, who acquired the Hôtellerie Sainte-Foy and transmitted his works to the museum in 1929 and 1937. These collections, linked to the construction site of the cloister of Saint Peter Abbey (circa 1100), illustrate the evolution of the Mossaga Romanesque sculpture between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The museum officially opened in 1951 as the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, before being renamed in tribute to Marguerite Vidal, her curator and native of Moissac. In 2013, ethnographic collections — costumes, faiences, terracotta and furniture reflecting local life — were placed in reserve for conservation reasons. These objects, once exhibited, reflect the social and cultural history of Moissac and its inhabitants.
The building itself, a former abbatial palace renovated in the 18th century, preserves a Romanesque chapel decorated with murals dating from the 1200s. This place, labeled Musée de France, plays a key role in the valorisation of the region's tangible and intangible heritage, although its exact location is considered unclear (note of 5/10).
