Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

At the end of the 19th century, local scholars and collectors founded a library-museum at the Town Hall of Apt, gathering the first collections. These objects, from private donations and archaeological discoveries, lay the foundation for a future museum. Between 1952 and 1970, the museum settled in the chapel of Sainte-Catherine, made available by the diocese, but the increase in collections quickly made the space insufficient.

In 1972, the Museum of History and Archaeology of the country of Apt opened in the former presbytery, 27 rue de l'Amphitheatre, extending its themes to major local sites through state deposits. Starting in 1985, the emphasis was on industrial heritage, leading in 2003 to the creation of the museum of industrial adventure, dedicated to the three economic pillars of the region: candied fruits, ochres and faiences. The museum was renamed the Apt Museum in 2017.

Today, the museum highlights the industrial heritage in the walls of an ancient candied fruit factory (Marliagues), while archaeological collections, ranging from Protohistory to the eighteenth century, are partially accessible by reservation. The latter explore two major axes: local ceramics (including 18th century earthenware) and the history of beliefs, with painted ex-votos or religious objects such as those of the former hospital of Apt.

The museum thus illustrates the duality between an artisanal and industrial past, marked by the transformation of natural resources (ocre, clay, fruits), and a deep archaeological anchor, from Gaulish oppidums to Gallo-Roman remains. The temporary exhibitions complete this journey, combining technical, history and decorative arts.

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