Musee Lapidaire (Lapidary Museum), Avignon

The Lapidary Museum in Avignon is a captivating lapidarium museum that has showcased the classical Greek, Etruscan, Roman, and Gallo-Roman sculptures and objects of the Calvet Museum since the 1980s. Managed by the Fondation Calvet, this museum is located on Republic Street, within a 17th-century building that originally served as the chapel of the city's Jesuit College. The structure's initial design was by Étienne Martelange in 1616, with François de Royers de la Valfenière taking over in 1620 to complete the construction up to the main cornice of the nave. The building was designated a historical monument on June 21, 1928.

An annex of the Calvet Museum, the Lapidary Museum brings together Avignon's rich archaeological collections. It features a diverse range of artifacts from various eras, including Prehistory, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Gallo-Roman, and Early Christian art. Highlights include the 'Lauris-Puyvert Stela,' crafted from ologenic limestone, and an assortment of Greek, Roman, Etruscan, and Gallic objects such as vases, lamps, bas-reliefs, statues, and Etruscan funerary monuments.

In addition to its permanent exhibitions, the museum is known for its dynamic program of temporary exhibitions, especially during the summer. These exhibits cover topics like the diffusion of Egyptian and Alexandrian cults in the Roman world and Coptic and Muslim Egypt, alongside thematic presentations such as "The Lararium of Esprit Calvet." The museum also hosts conferences and networking events, making it a vibrant hub for scholars and the general public.