La Muse – Musée vaudois

About the museum

The Waldensians are a religious movement that emerged in Lyon around Valdès, a layman. At the end of the 15th century, Provence was ravaged by war, epidemics and banditry, and many villages in the Luberon were deserted. To repopulate their lands, the lords brought in settlers from the Waldensian valleys of the Dauphiné and Piedmont, who settled in the Luberon between about 1460 and 1560.

The massacre of 1545 left a deep mark on the memory of these communities. About thirty years ago, the ruins of the old castle and its chapel became the Mémorial vaudois. A waymarked path, lined with information panels, climbs from the La Muse site to the ruins of the old village, where an orientation table and a stele pay tribute to the Waldensians of Provence.

La Muse occupies a former sheepfold surrounded by olive trees, between the old village and the present-day village of Mérindol. The site is the headquarters of the cultural association AEVHL. It houses a permanent exhibition room devoted to the Waldensians, religious persecution and the 1545 massacre, as well as a thematic library open to students and researchers.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition on the Waldensians, religious persecution and the 1545 massacre
• Former sheepfold between the old village and the present-day village
• Waymarked path to the Mémorial vaudois and the ruins of the old village
• Outdoor information panels, visible at any hour
• Thematic library and documentation centre

Permanent exhibition

• Exposition permanente sur les Vaudois du Luberon – The exhibition room presents the Waldensian movement, the religious persecution it suffered and the 1545 massacre.

Operated by

AEVHL (association culturelle)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission; donations accepted. Payment in cash or by check.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Wheelchair-accessible with assistance.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Parking is available nearby. The site lies on the GR 6 long-distance footpath.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Souvenir shop, toilets and picnic area on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit