Montmaurin offers several ways to explore its archaeological history: Villa Lassalles is known for its size and underfloor heating, the museum displays ancient artifacts, and an interactive model presents the site’s long history. At Villa de la Hillère, by contrast, a spring and a reception room oriented toward it take center stage.

Villa Lassalles: Scale and Architecture

Villa Lassalles is one of the largest known villas in France, covers 1.5 hectares today, and has almost 150 rooms. These figures reflect two different measures of the complex: its area and the number of rooms. Several areas have hypocaust underfloor heating. The bath wing can also be explored through specific details: it contains a colonnaded gallery beside a pool. The underfloor heating points to the villa’s technical features, while the gallery and pool illustrate the design of this area.

The Archaeological Museum

Montmaurin’s archaeological museum displays terra sigillata pottery, coins, and jewelry from its ancient collections. An interactive model presents the 350,000-year history of this remarkable site. Individual objects and a very long historical overview are thus presented side by side: the artifacts offer a close look at different groups of objects, while the model conveys the site’s history on a broader scale.

The Spring and Chapelle Notre-Dame

Villa de la Hillère is laid out around a spring, or its outlet; the reception room is oriented toward this spring outlet. The spring therefore also shapes the layout. Because of its reputed healing properties, the spring has been linked to the emergence of a pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages. This historical interpretation differs from the architectural details of Villa Lassalles: at Hillère, the spring and reception room are connected with a later religious significance.

Chapelle Notre-Dame can be visited at the ancient site of Hillère. Several mosaics are kept in the chapel. If you would like to include this site in your visit, check access before traveling. The spring, reception room, and chapel thus offer different ways to explore the history of Hillère.

Traces in the Gorges de la Save

The Gorges de la Save also offer a glimpse into the area’s past. Animal bones and the discovery of the Venus of Lespugue attest to human presence there during the Paleolithic. The gorges’ ecosystem is also considered remarkable. Two distinct subjects therefore come together here: prehistoric evidence of human presence and the importance of the ecosystem. The history of these discoveries adds another time perspective to Montmaurin’s architectural and museum offerings.

Plan Your Visit and Journey

The visit begins at the museum in the village and continues at the Villa Lassalles site. Staff from the monuments authority help visitors explore the archaeological sites and the museum. From Tarbes, the sites can be reached by road via Saint-Gaudens; from Toulouse, the road journey passes through the Save or Garonne valley. Check access to the chapel and the current arrangements for visits before traveling. Traffic or roadworks may affect your journey by road.

When choosing accommodation in Montmaurin, you can start by considering which themes you want to shape your stay: villa architecture and ancient collections, the history of the spring, or the prehistoric traces in the Gorges de la Save. These highlights offer different perspectives on the area and help you tailor your trip to your interests.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Saint-Frajou, Villematier, Vendine, Mondonville, Salles-Et-Pratviel, Saint-Thomas, Renneville, Melles.

Return to the main travel overview: Haute-Garonne.