Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Nîmes Romanity Museum was designed to succeed the former municipal archaeological museum, created in 1823 and originally installed in the Maison Carrée before being transferred to a Jesuit college in the late 19th century. Its opening to the public on June 2, 2018 marks the culmination of a project launched in 2011, motivated by the exceptional discovery, in 2006-2007, of a Roman domus and two mosaics (including Achille and Pentheus) during preventive excavations in the Jaurès alleys. These vestiges, called "more beautiful pieces after those of Pompeii", have reinforced the city hall's desire to create a modern space to expose these treasures as well as the existing collections, previously dispersed or poorly developed.

The architectural project was entrusted to Elizabeth de Portzamparc after an international competition between Rudy Ricciotti and Richard Meier. Its building, inaugurated in 2018, is distinguished by a silkscreened glass facade evoking a Roman toge, dialogating with the nearby ancient arenas. The museum is organized around a central atrium evoking the source of the Fountain, the founding symbol of Nîmes. Its chronological path (iron age, Roman era, Middle Ages) incorporates 65 multimedia devices (increased reality, films) to immerse visitors in daily life, urban planning and beliefs of past times. Among the flagship pieces are the mosaic of Bellerophon, Miles, and Medieval bas-reliefs of Saint Martin's church.

The museum also houses a gourmet restaurant led by the starred chef Franck Putelat, a Mediterranean garden and a terrace with panoramic views of the emblematic monuments of Nîmes. Since its opening, it has offered well-known temporary exhibitions, such as "Gladiateurs, hero of the Colosseum" (2018) or "Achille et la guerre de Troie" (2024), while valuing a unique fund of Greek ceramics, Etruscans and italiotes, resulting from private bequests and state deposits. Its award-winning architecture (Future Heritage Award 2016) embodies a dialogue between past and modernity, with a light glass and stainless steel structure contrasting with the rock of the arenas.

The excavations of 2006-2007 revealed the remains of a domus and Roman mosaics of exceptional quality, comparable to those of Pompeii. These discoveries were the catalyst of the project, pushing Mayor Jean-Paul Fournier to launch a museum capable of hosting these works in optimal conditions. The transfer of monumental pieces, such as the Bellerophon mosaic, took place in December 2015, marking a key step before the opening. Today the museum is positioned as a scientific, cultural and living place, integrating digital technologies to make the history of Nîmes accessible, from its Gallic origins to its Roman and medieval heritage.

The architecture of Elizabeth de Portzamparc plays a central role in the identity of the museum. The "glass skin" enveloping the building, composed of 6,708 silkscreened tiles, creates a giant mosaic effect that refers to Roman art. Inside, the transparency of the spaces allows views of the arenas, while the roof terrace offers a panorama of the city. Designed as a place of life, the museum includes dining spaces, gardens and urban routes connecting the surrounding squares. Its implantation on the edge of the ECUson, the historic heart of Nîmes, highlights its anchoring in the urban fabric, between ancient remains and contemporary dynamism.

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