Welcome

The Archeology and Patrimony Museum Marius Vazeilles is situated in the XIIth century Benedictine abbey in the historic center of Meymac in Haute-Corrèze, the southern gateway to the Plateau of Millevaches.  A visit to this place of learning and discovery is essential to understand the history of Haute-Corrèze, especially the plateau of Millevaches and its inhabitants from the most ancient times until today.

In the exhibits, which are distributed over 3 levels, a total of 300 square meters, you will discover numerous artifacts that illustrate the activities, rites and customs of the human societies that have successively inhabited the region from time immemorial.  Educational posters, interactive terminals and videos complement the expositions and encourage visitors to contemplate the future and the dynamics of the region.

A large part of the archeological, ethnographical and geological collections was discovered by Marius Vazeilles (1881-1973) as he went about the many activities that made up his life on the Plateau of Millevaches.  As a forestry engineer for the “National Department of Waters and Forests”, he was responsible for the reforestation of the Plateau.  He was also a well-known naturalist and a self-educated archeologist and ethnographer.

A member of the communist party, he was a devoted militant for the organization of ‘peasant-workers’ unions. During the French Popular Front (Front Populaire, 1936-1938), he was elected a member of the French National Assembly. After the war, he dedicated his life to his museum.

Marius Vazeilles, the founder of the museum, assembled these important collections, often with the help of the inhabitants of the region. These archeological and ethnographical collections let us retrace certain important periods (prehistoric, protohistoric, medieval) of this territory such as the way of life in Gaulish and Roman times, as reflected through the ruins at the Les Cars archeological site, and social life until the beginning of the XXth century when people sat around the fireplace (le cantou) telling stories, knitting, carving and spinning.

In 1976, a few years after the death of Mr. Vazeilles, his family created the Association ‘Marius Vazeilles Foundation’ to exhibit his multidisciplinary work and develop his archeological, ethnographic and mineralogical collections.

Like the works and social engagements of Marius Vazeilles, the scientific and cultural programs, organized by the museum and the Association, act as a link between the past and the future of this region.  They will interest enlightened amateurs and experts as well as neophytes and children.

The city of Meymac has been the proprietor of the collections in the museum since July 2015, but their administration remains in the hands of the Association.  A formal partnership has been established between the Regional Office of Cultural Affairs, the New-Aquitaine Region, the regional natural park of the Plateau of Millevaches, the township of Meymac and the Association to promote the development of the museum.

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