Musée romain d’Avenches

About the museum

The museum is housed in an 11th-century tower built onto the Roman amphitheatre of Avenches. It displays the most significant finds from Aventicum, the capital of the Roman Helvetii. Its beginnings go back to the time after 1832, when the Canton of Vaud appointed a curator for the antiquities of northern Vaud; in 1838 the first Roman museum of Avenches was established in the medieval tower fortress where it is still located today.

The care of the archaeological site long lay with the Pro Aventico association (1885) and, from 1964, with the foundation of the same name. In 2014 the canton took over the foundation's staff; since then the site and museum have operated jointly as “Site et Musée romains d’Avenches” and belong to the cantonal cultural services.

The permanent exhibition is spread over the floors: the third floor deals with the population and territory of Aventicum, the second floor with power and gods, featuring an animated topographical model of the city. On the ground floor stand large stone monuments such as grave stelae and inscriptions, as well as mosaics and a wall painting, the “Red Salon”. The first floor is reserved for special exhibitions.

Highlights

• Museum in an 11th-century tower on the Roman amphitheatre
• Copy of the golden bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
• The “Hercules and Antaeus” mosaic and the mosaic of the winds
• Animated model of the city of Aventicum in three languages
• Free admission; the archaeological site with amphitheatre, theatre and temple is freely accessible

Permanent exhibitions

• Aventicum : une population, un territoire (3. Stock) – An animated film in three languages and around 60 key objects from the Celtic, Roman and late antique periods show how Aventicum came into being and who lived there.
• Pouvoirs ! (2. Stock) – An animated topographical model shows the rise and decline of the city; famous objects such as the copy of the golden Marcus Aurelius bust tell of imperial rule, religion and myths.
• Erdgeschoss: Grabdenkmäler, Inschriften und Mosaiken – Grave stelae, reliefs from the En Chaplix funerary monuments, which stood over 20 metres high, inscriptions, floor mosaics and the wall painting “Salon rouge”.

Founded

1838

Operated by

Kanton Waadt (Site et Musée romains d’Avenches)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free for everyone, including groups of 10 or more and schools (including the special exhibition). The archaeological site with its monuments is freely accessible all year round.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The museum has four floors with stairs and no lift; only the basement, with an audiovisual presentation and the toilets, can be reached by stairlift. A general audio description of the building and three object descriptions are available online and as a sheet at the reception. The ancient site is wheelchair accessible except for the Tornallaz tower.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Free activity booklets (French and German) for children and families are available at the reception; also guided tours and workshops such as theatre or Roman cooking.

Getting there & parking

A1 motorway, Avenches exit.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop at the entrance (run by the Pro Aventico association) as well as an online bookshop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit