Period of activity of Pierre Daura 1896–1976 (≈ 1936)
Catalan painter exposed to the museum.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Pierre Daura - Catalan painter
Works exhibited at the museum (1896–1976).
Georges Pompidou - Former French President
Diplomatic gifts displayed.
Origin and history
The Figeac History Museum is housed in the restored lounges of the old seminary of the city. It gathers diverse objects, evoking both the Lot's local heritage and the distant expeditions of its donors. The spirit of the cabinets of curiosities is palpable, with pieces as diverse as prehistoric tools (acheulean bifaces, neolithic axes), firearms, or naturalized specimens such as a buffalo toad or a hippocampe. The collections also include works by Catalan painter Pierre Daura (1896–1976), diplomatic gifts received by Georges Pompidou, as well as minerals and fossils from the Figeac region.
The museum's movable wealth includes remarkable pieces, such as a sacristy piece of furniture from the church of Our Lady of Puy or a head of Christ carved before the Revolution. These objects illustrate both the Quercy traditions and cultural exchanges well beyond regional borders. The museum, labeled Musée de France, showcases eclectic collections: coins, medals, and testimonies of daily life, while relying on a place full of history, the former seminary of Figeac.
The official address of the museum is Espace Henri Vayssettes, although the GPS coordinates are located at 10 Rue Henri Martin. This shift reflects an approximate location (note: 5/10), probably linked to Figeac's urban history. The site remains a central point for discovering the physical and intangible history of the territory, from prehistory to modern times, including presidential anecdotes or local geological treasures.