Musée Bargoin

The Musée Bargoin is a heritage museum located in Clermont-Ferrand, in the Auvergne region of central France. Founded in 1903, it is situated at the intersection of rue Ballainvilliers and boulevard Lafayette, near the Jardin Henri-Lecoq and the Henri-Lecoq Museum of natural history. Originally conceived as a fine arts museum, it has evolved into an institution devoted principally to archaeological collections and textile arts. Since 2025, the museum has entered a transformative phase of reorganization and renovation that will eventually refocus its mission entirely on the archaeology and history of the Auvergne region.

The museum takes its name from Jean-Baptiste Bargoin, a wealthy industrialist from Clermont-Ferrand who in 1885 bequeathed part of his fortune to the city with the express purpose of founding a museum. The building was designed by the Clermont architect Joseph Dionnet and inaugurated on 11 October 1903. Its neoclassical façade is adorned with marble bas-reliefs representing the Arts by the sculptor P. Gray and wrought-iron railings by the ironworker Bernardin. Though designed in the nineteenth century to showcase fine art collections, the museum housed numerous archaeological finds from its opening. When the city's art collections were relocated to the new Musée d'Art Roger-Quilliot at the end of the twentieth century, the Bargoin Museum redeployed its archaeological holdings into larger spaces and reserved its upper floors for textile arts. Long administered as a municipal museum, it is now part of Clermont Auvergne Métropole. In 2016, on the occasion of the exhibition "Rebelles," graffiti artists Deft, Beame414, Waro Tkn Fwt, Rino, and Epok from the ENDtoEND collective created an ephemeral chalk spray painting on the museum's façades. Since January 2025, the museum has been engaged in a vast project to reorganize, consolidate, and computerize its collections in preparation for their transfer to a new conservation center, resulting in only partial public access.

Among the museum's prehistoric collections, the "young girl of Cheix" stands out: the skeleton of a young girl buried in fetal position, discovered in 1938 at the Shelter of Cheix in Saint-Diéry, dating from the Early Neolithic and representing the oldest known skeleton in Auvergne. The museum also holds an important lithic collection from the Magdalenian Durif shelter at Enval (Vic-le-Comte), and the remarkable Manson deposit from Saint-Genès-Champanelle, discovered in 1873, comprising around a hundred bronze weapons and ornaments from the Bronze Age. Rare ceramics with zoomorphic decoration from the second century BC, probably of local manufacture and intended for serving drinks, are also preserved. The Gallo-Roman collections are particularly rich. The Martres-de-Veyre necropolis, excavated in the second half of the nineteenth century, yielded five tombs in excellent preservation with organic remains including textiles, leather, and human remains. A monumental bronze foot discovered in 2006 during an archaeological survey at the former Clermont-Ferrand bus station is estimated to have come from a colossal statue measuring between 2.70 and 3.50 metres and weighing 400 to 450 kg, probably an imperial commission for a public monument in Augustonemetum. Objects from the Temple of Mercury at the summit of the Puy de Dôme, uncovered from 1873 during construction of the meteorological observatory, date from 120-130 AD. The basement houses the exceptional collection of Gallo-Roman ex-votos from the Source des Roches at Chamalières: 10,000 fragments from approximately 3,500 wooden ex-votos carved between 30 BC and 100 AD, notable for their diversity and state of preservation, along with a lead tablet important for Gaulish language studies. In 2018, the museum acquired an equestrian statue of Jupiter striking down an anguiped monster from Egliseneuve-près-Billom, which underwent major restoration in 2024.

The museum occupies a neoclassical building designed by architect Joseph Dionnet, inaugurated in 1903. Its tetrastyle façade gives it an austere, almost mausoleum-like appearance. The exterior is embellished with marble bas-reliefs by sculptor P. Gray representing the Arts, and wrought-iron railings by Bernardin. The building is located in central Clermont-Ferrand at the intersection of rue Ballainvilliers and boulevard Lafayette, in proximity to the rectorate, the Jardin Henri-Lecoq, and the Henri-Lecoq Museum (Muséum d'histoire naturelle). The structure is currently undergoing renovation and modernization, with significant structural interventions planned to update the 125-year-old building. As of 2025, exhibition spaces are being used for collection processing and preparation, with only the hall and the renovated room dedicated to the Source des Roches ex-votos remaining open to the public.

The Musée Bargoin is currently only partially open to the public due to its major reorganization project. As of January 14, 2025, visitors can access the recently renovated room of the Source des Roches sanctuary and the exhibition hall, which in洞 in mid-March 2025 welcomed the restored equestrian statue of Jupiter striking down an anguiped monster. Behind-the-scenes visits are also offered. The museum continues to participate in cultural events including Museum Night, European Archaeology and Heritage Days, and the Arts en balade weekend. Some collections are on display at other venues, notably the Maison archéologique des Combrailles in Voingt. Access is via the Ballainvilliers stops (lines B, C, E) or Sablon Lafayette, and via the Place Renoux C.vélo station. When fully open, admission is €5, with reduced price of €3 on presentation of the ClermontPass. Opening hours from January 1 to July 31 are Friday and weekends from 11 am to 6 pm, with closure on January 1 and May 1. The museum is owned by Clermont Auvergne Métropole. Following completion of the collection work, a full renovation will commence, after which the museum will reopen entirely devoted to the archaeology and history of the Auvergne region.