Sites et musée archéologiques de Montmaurin
Archaeological museum opened in 2020 and the Lassalles Gallo-Roman villa, one of the largest in France, at the foot of the Pyrenees.
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About the museum
The Montmaurin site in the Comminges has yielded traces of occupation since prehistory. In the Save gorges, animal bones and the famous Venus of Lespugue, a small mammoth-ivory statuette discovered in 1922, bear witness to human presence in the Palaeolithic.
Two Gallo-Roman villas were uncovered at the end of the 19th century by Abbé Jean-Marie Couret and Isidore Miro. The Lassalles villa, a vast aristocratic residence of about 150 rooms, covers one and a half hectares. It has two peristyles, underfloor heating and fine mosaics. The La Hillère villa, built around a spring, is partly covered by the Notre-Dame-de-la-Hillère chapel.
Archaeologist Georges Fouet carried out numerous excavation campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s. The State acquired the Lassalles villa in 1953 and the La Hillère estate in 1965. The Centre des monuments nationaux has looked after the site since 2010. The museum, opened in 2020, displays the finds from these excavations, from the prehistoric room with its cave lion skeleton to the ancient collections.
Highlights
- Lassalles Gallo-Roman villa and its thermal wing
- Mosaic ensemble
- Replica of the Venus of Lespugue
- Cave lion skeleton found in the Coupe-Gorge cave
- Interactive map covering 350,000 years of the site’s history
Permanent exhibitions
- Le musée archéologique – Prehistoric room, ancient collections from the commune’s villas and an interactive map of the territory.
- La villa gallo-romaine de Lassalles – Remains of a large aristocratic residence with mosaics and a thermal wing.
- Founded
- 2020
- Operated by
- Centre des monuments nationaux
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free for under-18s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free for the person with a disability and their companion. |
| Students & apprentices | –Free for 18–25-year-olds who are citizens of the European Union, and for non-European residents legally living in France. |
| Groups (20+ people) | €4 per personFrom 20 paying adults; no minimum for a person accompanied by a tourism professional. |
| SNCF TGV INOUI and Intercités partner rate | €4On presentation of a travel ticket of less than 5 days. |
| SNCF Grand Voyageur partner rate | €3On presentation of the membership card. |
Free admission: First Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.
The ticket gives access to the archaeological museum and the Lassalles villa (subject to the villa’s opening times). Also free for job seekers (certificate less than 6 months old) and with the Pass éducation. The Passion monuments subscription gives unlimited access to more than 80 monuments. Payment by cash, bank card, cheque, Chèque Culture and ANCV holiday vouchers.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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
Strollers are allowed. The floor of the Lassalles villa is partly covered with gravel.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
Children’s workshops every Thursday during school holidays (accompanying adult required). Family events: “Monument jeu d’enfant” on the first weekend of the autumn holidays and “Contes et Histoires” during the Christmas holidays. Free for under-18s.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gare de Saint-Gaudens
Saint-Gaudens station.
By car from Tarbes: A64 motorway towards Toulouse, exit no. 18 Saint-Gaudens, then D9 and D9d. From Toulouse via the Garonne valley: D817 to Saint-Gaudens, then D9 and D9d. From Toulouse via the Save valley: N124 to L’Isle-Jourdain, D634 to Samatan, then D632, D9, D17 and D633.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Picnics are possible near the museum and the villa. A small restaurant, Le Cemaloun, is in the village and opens mostly at weekends. An online shop is offered on the website.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography allowed |
| Good to know | Guided tour of about one hour, at no extra cost, on request at reception. Dogs are not allowed in the museum or the villa. The museum and villa are 1.2 km apart (about a 20-minute walk); visiting the museum first is recommended, as its first room presents the area with an interactive map. |
