Musée Gallo-Romain Vesunna

Rue du 26e Régiment d'Infanterie

About

One of the most talked-about museums in central France opened in July 2003 within a mostly glass shell that was designed by the well-known architect Jean Nouvel. A short walk from the center of Périgueux, it's positioned directly above excavations, which revealed an extensive, albeit ruined, ancient Roman villa, replete with mosaics and many of the workaday artifacts of everyday life in the ancient Roman provinces. Visitors are intrigued by the juxtaposition of the hypermodern shell and the ancient artifacts within.