Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The archaeological museum of Nîmes finds its origins in a first museum created in 1823 in the Maison Carrée. At the end of the 19th century, the stone collections were transferred to part of the former Jesuit college, built in the 2nd half of the 17th century (1673-1678). This building, designed by Father Matthieu de Mourgues, combines unique nave and central plan, with domes and baroque decor. After the Revolution, it will also house the municipal library and the museum of natural history. The archaeological museum was inaugurated there in 1896 by Mayor Émile Reinaud, gathering objects from local excavations, mainly from the Iron Age, Roman and medieval era.

In 1920, the Ancient School of Nîmes, a scholarly society founded at the initiative of Gustave Domjean and supported by Émile Espérandieu, moved to the museum. This association, dedicated to the dissemination of archaeological and historical knowledge of the region (from prehistory to the Middle Ages), enriches the collections and organizes conferences, visits and annual publications. The museum closed permanently in 2018, its collections being transferred to the new museum of Romanity, facing the arenas.

The former Jesuit college, classified as a Historical Monument in 1973 for its chapel and inscribed in 1999 for the rest, illustrates 17th century religious architecture. Its western facade, decorated with niches and committed columns, hides an interior structured by stands and domes illuminated by lanterns. The screw stairs, the wrought iron balconies at the initials of the Society of Jesus, and the turrets recall its first use before its museum conversion.

Among the notable conservatives, Félix Mazauric (1906-1919) initiated the project of the Ancient School, while Émile Espérandieu (1919-1939), a member of the Academy of Enrollment and Fine Letters, gave him scientific influence. Later, Dominique Darde (1985-2018) oversees the transition to the Musée de la Romanité. The collections, centered on Nîmes and its region, bear witness to its Gallo-Roman and medieval past, with pieces from local excavations.

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