Musée archéologique de l'Hôtel-Dieu
Archaeology museum in Cavaillon, housed in the former chapel of the Hôtel-Dieu, with collections from prehistory to the Middle Ages.
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About the museum
The museum occupies the chapel of the former Hôtel-Dieu in Cavaillon, an 18th-century building listed as a historic monument and restored in 2018. The Jouve family acquired the chapel in 1907; from 1912, Marie-Thérèse Jouve gathered archaeological objects found in the region there, and the entrance vestibule and the sacristy were fitted out in 1913.
The collection grew especially in the 1930s thanks to donations, purchases and local finds, with the help of young archaeologists. At the end of that decade the chapel was entrusted to the Fondation Calvet in Avignon, with the task of creating an archaeology museum there; the museum was officially established in 1946.
The display traces the history of Cavaillon and the western Luberon from the Neolithic to the modern period. The prehistoric and Antiquity sections are the richest: prehistoric tools, numerous local ceramics, Gallo-Greek and Gallo-Roman stelae, funerary chests, altars, statues, capitals and ancient coins. The medieval and early modern periods are represented by an early medieval altar table, ceiling elements from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and 16th- and 17th-century murals from the Hôtel Dupuy-Montbrun. The museum holds the “Musée de France” label.
Highlights
- 18th-century Hôtel-Dieu chapel, a historic monument
- Prehistoric tools and remains from the Cavaillon region
- Gallo-Greek and Gallo-Roman stelae, funerary chests and altars
- Collection of ancient coins of local origin
- Early medieval altar table
- Murals from the Hôtel Dupuy-Montbrun (16th and 17th centuries)
- Founded
- 1946
- Visitors per year
- approx. 2,273
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
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| Reduced | €2Groups of more than 10 people, large families, people over 60, students, teachers, job seekers and recipients of social minimum benefits |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s, with proof. |
| Combined ticket with the Musée juif comtadin (former synagogue) – full price | €8Reduced rate: €6. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month; European Heritage Days, Museum Night and other local or national cultural events
Free admission, with proof, for under-18s, holders of a disability card, tourism professionals, journalists, curators, ICOM card holders, Ministry of Culture staff and group companions. Payment in cash or by cheque.
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 users are welcomed only on the ground floor, with assistance depending on the situation; the building is historic and some areas remain hard to reach.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 45 min |
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| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The visit takes about 45 minutes. Outside the season, groups may visit the museum by reservation. |
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