Musée des traditions populaires et d'archéologie

About the museum

The museum was set up around 1960 in the former presbytery of the Saint-Pierre collegiate church, using collections of the Société de Recherches Archéologiques du pays chauvinois. It is located in the medieval Cité of Chauvigny.

The route presents objects from the archaeological sites of Chauvigny: the Neolithic and protohistory (Bronze and Iron Ages), life under the Gallo-Romans with a rich collection of ceramics, then the Middle Ages with glassware, pottery and gaming pieces from the castles of the Cité. The modern and contemporary periods are represented by clothing and everyday objects, including eighty headdresses, and by a reconstructed Poitou interior from the late 19th century.

On the second floor, one room displays the archaeological finds from the Gallo-Roman sites of Saint-Pierre-les-Églises and the Gué de Sciaux in Antigny, as well as those of the castles of Montléon, Gouzon and the baronial castle. Another room brings together models that trace the urban and rural development of the area from the third millennium BC to the period 1880–1900. On the third floor, the crafts room houses the tools of the clog maker, the pewterer, the cooper and the pit sawyer.

Highlights

• Collection of Gallo-Roman ceramics
• Eighty traditional headdresses
• Reconstructed Poitou interior from the late 19th century
• Models of the development of Chauvigny and its surroundings
• Crafts room (clog maker, pewterer, cooper, pit sawyer)
• Touchscreen visit tablets lent free of charge

Permanent exhibition

• Collections permanentes du musée – Local archaeology from prehistory to the Middle Ages, a reconstructed Poitou interior, headdresses, models and a crafts room across three levels.

Visitors per year

approx. 16,009

Admission & discounts

The admission is a combined ticket that also gives access to the Espace d’Archéologie Industrielle – Donjon de Gouzon.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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

Reserved parking spaces are located on the Place du Vieux-Marché. Visit tablets are lent free of charge against an identity document; they offer an accessibility option for visually impaired visitors. The museum’s audio content and the visit app are subtitled (English is also available in the app).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Guided family activities during school holidays, on Wednesdays (for example, medieval embroidery at 10:00, €8 by reservation; building a Romanesque vault model at 14:30, €8 per adult and €3 per child). Activities and games to do at home are available on the museums’ website: photo rally, spot-the-seven-mistakes game, puzzle.

Getting there & parking

Access to the medieval Cité via the D2 (direction La Puye / La Roche-Posay); the walk up to the medieval Cité has a 20% gradient.

Amenities & dining

Online shop on the museums’ website.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit