Within this area are exposed:
• Remains found in the archaeological site of Montrebut, a two-million-year-old site of international renown.
The first very fruitful excavations were conducted by Professor VIRET, between 1946 and 1952. Excavations resumed again from 1993 to 1999, under the direction of scientists Martine FAURE and Claude GUERIN.
• The drawings of the 12th century city, with its ramparts, its castle and its so-called “Roman” stone bridge.
• The drawings of the church showing the modifications that have been made over the centuries.
• The life of unrivalled Diane de Poitiers, Henri II’s mistress, who made her mark on history as well as on the city that saw her birth. You can admire one of her dresses and consult her family genealogical.
• The reconstructed plans of the city at the time of Louis XIV, within its ramparts which date back to the 6th century.
• The scale model of the bridge over the Rhône which was built in 1835, according to the plans of Marc Seguin, and destroyed in 1970 during the development of the river.
• An exhibition of artisanal and industrial objects, testimonies of life in the 19th century.