Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman Antiquities Museum finds its origins in excavations organized between 1856 and 1868, conducted during the winter to occupy the indigent populations of the region. These archaeological discoveries led to the creation of a first museum, housed in a hall of the local town hall. This initial project already reflected interest in the Gallo-Roman heritage, although the means were limited at the time.

In 1988, the municipality decided to give this museum a new dimension by transferring it to an old renovated barn. Scientific management was then entrusted to a curator of the Musée Dauphinois, thus integrating the museum into the network of Associate Museums. This choice marked a desire to professionalize and enhance the site, while at the same time anchoring its development in a structured regional framework.

The 1990s saw a major expansion of the museum, with works completed in 2000, bringing the exposure area to 650 m2. The new complex, consisting of two buildings connected by a covered gallery, was designed to optimize public reception and presentation of collections. The permanent space, organized around a glass patio evoking the atrium of a Roman villa, showcases nearly 600 objects, including an exceptional collection of local pottery made on site more than 2000 years ago.

The museum is not limited to the exhibition of objects: it also plays a role as a tourist and educational hub. An interactive multimedia terminal offers visitors a discovery of the vals of Dauphiné, complemented by extensive documentation and educational models. Among the main attractions, a Gallo-Roman potter oven, discovered nearby, offers a concrete complement to the collections, illustrating the artisanal importance of the region during the Roman era.

The focus is on local know-how, with sections dedicated to ceramics, glassware and metallurgy. Models, including a large-scale reconstitution of the pottery manufacturing stages, make it possible to visualize the organization of ancient workshops. This museographic bias highlights the link between the archaeological heritage and the economic history of the region, while inviting to explore other classified sites in the vicinity.

Labeled Museum of France, the establishment is part of a process of preservation and transmission, while adapting to contemporary expectations. Its architecture, combining a converted barn and modern extensions, symbolizes this duality between heritage and innovation, serving a better understanding of the local Gallo-Roman society.

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