Grenoble Archaeological Museum
| Musée archéologique de Grenoble | |
 | |
| Established | 1846 |
|---|---|
| Location | Grenoble, France |
| Coordinates | 45°11′52″N 5°43′53″E / 45.1977°N 5.7314°E |
| Type | Archaeological museum |
| Website | Grenoble Archaeological Museum |
Grenoble Archaeological Museum is a museum located on the historic site of Saint-Laurent in Grenoble, at the foot of the Bastille on the right bank of the Isère.
The former Saint-Laurent church built on the remains of a Gallo-Roman necropolis was deconsecrated in 1983 in order to become first an archaeological site and then in 1986 a museum. The site has been studied since the beginning of the 19th century, and on 10 August 1977 was classified as a historic monument. It is characterised by a complex layering of buildings and structures, among which the hidden gem is the crypt which dates from the 6th century.
History
In 1803, the discovery of a sixth-century crypt increases the interest of the church of St Laurent. In the first half of the nineteenth century, three men will revive the architectural interest of this church, Jacques-Joseph Champollion-Figeac, Prosper Mérimée and Pierre Manguin.[1] A first museum was created in 1846 between church of St Laurent and a house occupied by the industrial Xavier Jouvin. It consists primarily of headstones covered with inscriptions, dating from the Gallo-Roman period of Cularo.
The entire site is classified as a historic monument since 10 August 1977.[2] A museum opened in 1986 in the deconsecrated church of St Laurent, but closed since 2003 for work, and reopened to the public in May 2011 with a new original staging.[3]
The church of St. Laurent today is a Romanesque church of the twelfth century. The conservation status of the church funeral (sixth century) excavated in the basement, with its crypt makes it a unique archaeological site in France.[4]
The mausoleums of early fourth century and the church of the nineteenth century has witnessed an architectural constant adaptation to changing attitudes, pagan practices to Christian beliefs.
References
Bibliography
- Renée Colardelle, La ville et la mort, Saint-Laurent de Grenoble, 2000 ans de tradition funéraire, Bibliothèque de l'Antiquité tardive, N° 11, édit. Brepols Publishers, 413 p, 2008. ISBN 978-2-503-52818-2