Musée de la Romanité

The Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes faces the Roman amphitheatre across a small square, and the contrast between the two buildings is the first thing visitors notice. The museum opened in 2018 and was designed by the architect Elizabeth de Portzamparc. Its facade is a glass skin covered with fine rows of glazed tiles, which ripple like the folds of a Roman toga or the surface of a mosaic and catch the Mediterranean light in changing patterns. Behind that modern front, the museum collects the story of Nîmes, from its Gaulish origins to the Roman city called Nemausus and the centuries that followed.

Nîmes was one of the most important Roman towns in Gaul. It was a colony with its own temple, theatre, amphitheatre and walls, and the Maison Carrée and the Arènes de Nîmes are among the best-preserved Roman buildings anywhere. The museum adds the context that these monuments cannot provide on their own, by showing the objects, inscriptions, statues, mosaics and daily-life items that explain who lived in the town and how they lived. It holds around five thousand objects, many from excavations in the town and the surrounding area, and it uses film, models and interactive displays to make the story easy to follow, so that visitors can see the arrival of Roman rule, the development of the city and its long afterlife.

Among the highlights is a large mosaic showing the myth of Pentheus, from the early third century, which was found in a Roman house in the city and is one of the museum's most important finds. The museum's own building site, in fact, produced evidence of the Roman city, and an archaeological garden outside shows part of the ancient world. The rooftop terrace, open to visitors, gives views over the amphitheatre and other monuments, and links the displays to the real city. A shop, a restaurant and a garden planted in Mediterranean style complete the facilities. The collection also includes material gathered by scholars in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The museum sits within a short walk of the Arènes de Nîmes, the Maison Carrée, the Carré d'Art, the Théâtre Antique and the Jardin de la Fontaine with its Tour Magne. The Cathédrale Saint-Castor and the Piscines de Nîmes make other stops. Many visitors start here to understand what they will see, then visit the monuments with a clearer sense of their meaning.

Plan on about two hours. It suits families, history lovers and anyone who enjoys modern architecture. Check opening times and combined ticket options before you go.