Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The National Archaeology Museum is housed in the Royal Castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a Renaissance building renovated under Louis XIV. In 1862, Napoleon III founded the National Antiquities Museum to illustrate the technical and artistic evolution of humanity from its origins to the year one thousand in France. This project is part of a desire to enhance the national archaeological heritage, with a chronological approach covering the Prehistory, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Gallo-Roman period and the High Middle Ages.

The museum was completely renovated from 1962 onwards, with particular attention to collections dedicated to Celtic Gaul, reopened to the public in March 2012 after a decade of closure. Since 2013, a restoration campaign is under way to preserve this historic monument, which also includes the pavilions of Sully and Henri IV as well as the remains of the Château Neuf. The building itself, originally designed by Pierre Chambiges in 1539, was restored in the 19th century under the direction of architect Eugene Millet, on the initiative of Napoleon III.

The museum's collections cover key periods, such as the Neolithic (first peasant villages, polished stone tools), the Bronze Age (arms, trimmings), and the Gallo-Roman and Merovingian eras (mentary furniture). A comparative archaeology room completes the journey, offering a transversal perspective on these civilizations. The castle, symbol of royal power, houses a unique place dedicated to the memory of the origins of France.

Ranked among the Historical Monuments, the site is also labeled Museum of France. Its official address, Place Charles de Gaulle in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines), makes it a central place in the Île-de-France region, attracting researchers and visitors for its exceptional archaeological heritage.

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