Musée Saint-Raymond, musée d’Archéologie de Toulouse (Archaeology)

Here, culture is set free

Oh, lucky visitors! You are about to enter a fantastic, hybrid space: a museum that doubles as an archaeological site.

The building you will enter is a former university college built in 1523 with thousands of bricks. You will see lots of bricks here because Toulouse has no rocks and in any case you will see plenty of stones (in the form of sculptures) once you step inside**.

Ok, so why create an Archaeology Museum?
Because the bulk of these collections were discovered during ancient and on-going excavations.
On the second floor, the artefacts on display have more or less a link with the ancient region that belonged to Toulouse, ²la Narbonnaise². Other remains were left by the Gauls or the Romans in the area who, although not necessarily our ancestors, contributed greatly to the identity of the region. On the first floor, we can never figure out whether the emperor’s heads are observing the visitors or vice versa. Thousands of eyes are fixed on you when you enter the mythological sculpture gallery.
Finally, a word of advice: avoid comparing your body to those of Venus or Hercules… they will make you feel ugly and disfigured. However if you look at the theatrical masks and their grotesque smiles, you will feel instantly attractive!

And what about this archaeological site?
Take the elevator and as with Dante, the Divine Comedy begins. Here we don’t speak of the nine circles but the nine emotions. First is amazement, when you behold the enormous chalk oven. Then curiosity at this subterranean space. Then fear when you realise that like Boris Vian you treading on tombs of an ancient cemetery. Calm ensues as you gaze at the decorative graves. The fifth emotion is anger because no one told you about this magical place earlier. It is by slipping further into the gallery that you will experience the passion overtake you at being so close to the death of the Ancients.
Finally climbing back towards the entrance of the museum, you will be in every direction between happiness, joy even rapture because the Saint-Raymond museum is more than just a museum.

Welcome to our world.