Musée romain de Vallon

About the museum

It began with a building project: on a plot intended for a residential quarter, the remains of an extensive Roman country house lay just under two metres below the surface. On 30 May 1985 diggers came across a first mosaic, and in 1989 a second was added. Faced with these extraordinary finds, the question arose whether to destroy them, remove them, cover them over again, or preserve and display them – the decision was to preserve and present them on site.

The museum was built over the site after about two years of construction and follows the L-shaped floor plan of the Roman villa. The wooden slats of the façades recall the tobacco sheds that once characterised the Broye Valley. There are exhibition rooms on two floors and two air-conditioned halls housing the mosaics; the larger one can be entered directly, while the smaller one can be viewed through a large window.

The excavations show settlement since the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. In the 1st century AD several buildings were erected, which were expanded in the early 3rd century into a residence with two mosaics, a portico and gardens. A fire around 300 damaged the main building; afterwards the estate was rebuilt and used into the early Middle Ages. In the museum visitors can see the mosaics “Bacchus and Ariadne” and the hunting mosaic “Venatio” with ten medallions, as well as bronze statuettes of gods from the household shrine and a 1:50 scale model of the villa.

Highlights

• Mosaic “Bacchus and Ariadne” in its original location
• Hunting mosaic “Venatio” with ten medallions and animal hunts
• Laraire: about 16 bronze statuettes of gods
• 1:50 scale model of the Roman villa
• Games, learning activities and workshops for children

Permanent exhibitions

• Die Mosaike von Vallon – Two mosaics from the Roman villa are preserved in their original location: “Bacchus and Ariadne” and the hunting mosaic “Venatio” with ten medallions and scenes from an animal-fight spectacle.
• Die Götter des Hauses – The household shrine (laraire) brings together about 16 bronze statuettes of Celtic, Greco-Roman and Egyptian deities, which were damaged in the fire.
• Die Villa und ihre Geschichte – A 1:50 scale model shows the villa of the 3rd century; a timeline leads from the Bronze Age to the early Middle Ages.

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Swiss Museum Pass, Raiffeisen card, AMS, ICOM and Carte Culture, as well as for residents of Vallon and members of the association of the Roman Museum.

Accessibility

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

The museum and toilets are accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

For children there are learning trails and games (“aMUSEE-vous!”), workshops such as “Mosaic the Roman way” and “Fresco the Roman way”, as well as children's birthday parties; registration for workshops by telephone or email.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A1, exit 28 (Avenches – St-Aubin – Vallon) or exit 27 (Payerne – Grandcour – Vallon). Also possible on foot or by bike from Avenches, Payerne, Estavayer-le-Lac and Gletterens.

Amenities & dining

The museum has a cafeteria, which according to the website can be rented for events; the museum shop is announced on the website as “in preparation”.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The cafeteria can be rented for snacks and aperitifs (offer on the website under “Location de la cafétéria”).

Plan your visit