Grenoble Archaeological Museum 2.41

Grenoble Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Grenoble, France. It occupies the historic site of Saint-Laurent at the foot of the Bastille on the right bank of the Isère.The buildingSaint-Laurent church was built on the remains of a Gallo-Roman necropolis. The church itself is essentially Romanesque, but 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.ConservationThe crypt was classified as a historic monument in 1850. Protection was extended to other parts of the church and, in 1977, the entire site.The church was deconsecrated in 1983 in order to become first an archaeological site and then in 1986 a museum.HistoryA priory associated with the church was closed in 1790 after which St Laurent had the status of a parish church. The site has been studied since the beginning of the 19th century. In 1803, the discovery of the Merovingian crypt attracted attention. In the first half of the nineteenth century, three men revived the architectural interest of this church: archaeologist Jacques Joseph Champollion-Figeac inspector general of ancient monuments Prosper Mérimée architect Pierre Manguin. A first museum was created in 1846 between the church of St Laurent and a house occupied by the industrialist Xavier Jouvin. It consisted primarily of headstones covered with inscriptions, dating from the Gallo-Roman period of Cularo.