Pillar of Nautes

The National Museum of the Middle Ages holds a number of pieces dating back to before the Middle Ages, illustrating the varied roots of medieval artistic creation.

The pieces presented in the Baths room or frigidarium have been chosen for their harmony with the building. Each object, in its own way, testifies to the romanisation of Gaul: the Gaulish inscription, the Pillar of Nautes, the statue of Julian the Apostate... Other antique pieces are preserved at the museum, in particular the gold helmet wreaths and gold coins struck by the Arvernes.

At the end of the Empire, from the 3rd to the 5th centuries, the " barbaric invasions", the migrations of Germanic peoples from east to west, took place. Gaulish heritage seems to come back to life in the new works flooding Franco-Roman civilisation.