Musée de Lodève

The Musée de Lodève – A journey into the immensity of time

Located in Lodève, not far from the Prieuré Saint Michel de Grandmont, the Musée de Lodève is a major cultural site to visit in Lodévois et Larzac.

This museum of modern art, archaeology, palaeontology and natural sciences is one of the very few museums in France to cover such a vast period of the Earth’s history using only locally sourced collections.

Housed in the former mansion of Cardinal Hercule de Fleury, this Musée de France, renovated in 2018, has won several awards for its architecture and museography.

As soon as visitors enter the museum, they are greeted by Paul Dardé’s monumental Faune, enthroned in a vast shaft of light. The minerality and luminosity of this contemporary interior courtyard match that of the old limestone courtyard.

During your visit, you can discover one of the museum’s famous temporary exhibitions or plunge into the immensity of time with its three permanent exhibitions:

“Traces of Living Things”: 700 m² immersed in the history of the Earth over the last 540 million years. After crossing the dizzying “time room”, set off in the footsteps of extinct animals: from the first forms of life on Earth to giant sharks and dinosaurs.

“Man’s footprints”: at the end of prehistory, man gradually became a farmer and stockbreeder. The Musée de Lodève tells the story of this fascinating period with inventiveness, humour and poetry.

“Memories in Stone”: enter the brilliant world of Paul Dardé (1888-1963), a sculptor with a “fierce and ruthless” independence. Follow him into his studio and observe the genesis of his historical and mythical figures.

Places worth visiting near Musée de Lodève

Here is our selection of must-see sites to visit near the Musée de Lodève.

• The Manufacture nationale de la Savonnerie, 2km away.
• Prieuré Saint Michel de Grandmont , 8km away.
• Les sites templiers et hospitaliers du Larzac, 25km away.