Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Archaeological Museum Theo Desplans was founded in 1923, when a first museum was built thanks to the legacy of Paul Buffaven, former mayor of Vaison-la-Romane. This legacy allowed Canon Joseph Sautel to gather archaeological discoveries, including imperial statues exhumed between 1909 and 1912. The town acquired the Puymin estate in 1915, and a 90 m2 museum was built there in 1924 under the direction of the chief architect of the Historic Monuments. This first space, quickly too small, marks one of the first attempts at site museum in France.

After the death of Joseph Satel in 1955, the growing reputation of Vaison-la-Romane prompted the commune to consider a new building. In 1974, a six-fold larger building, designed by architect Pierre Broise, replaced the old museum. Organised around a green space reminiscent of a Roman peristyle, it exhibits collections by themes. Continuous excavations enrich the objects presented, leading to a major extension in 1998. A new museum path is then defined, incorporating the latest discoveries.

Today, the museum offers a chronological and thematic journey, covering prehistory, Gallo-Roman city, public monuments, trade, religion and domestic life. The objects are contextualized in their original environment, offering an immersion in local history. The site, labeled Musée de France, remains a key testimony of Provencal archaeology, anchored in the historical landscape of Vaison-la-Romane.

External links