In Figeac (Lot), the birthplace of Jean-François Champollion, it is the work of the man who deciphered hieroglyphics that is in the spotlight and the starting point of a fascinating journey through the writing systems of the world. Like the Museum & Gardens of the Canal du Midi, the Musée Champollion - Les Ecritures du Monde is exceptional because there is no other museum in France that deals with the topic of writing and provides a comprehensive view of how it changed the world.
The collections are presented in 8 exhibition rooms in a very attractive and interactive way.
Back to the splendour of Antiquity
If Figeac has something of the Egyptian about it, the influence of Rome can be seen and felt in several Midi-Pyrénées museums.
One of the best Roman museums is without a doubt the Musée Saint-Raymond in Toulouse. This museum is home to one of the most important archaeological collections in France. Here you will learn all about the Roman city of Tolosa, ancient Toulouse, and you can also see the amazing busts found in the Villa Chiragan south of Toulouse.
You will also be surprised by the quality of the other Gallo-Roman collections in the region, including those in the Musée de Millau et des Grands Causses (Aveyron) and the exhibits on display at the Musée d’Eauze (Gers) where you can see the glittering treasure found in Eauze in 1985: an outstanding collection of jewels and 28,000 coins dating from the third century.
In Midi-Pyrénées you can also go back further in time to prehistory and the precious discoveries made in the region's caves. Don't miss the Musée du Mas d’Azil (Ariège) and the Musée de Préhistoire du Pech Merle (Lot), where you can rub shoulders with 300,000 years of local history!