Salagon, museum and gardens

Salagon, a museum and gardens. There are several different ways of visiting this site in Mane near Forcalquier in Haute Provence and the Luberon: you can wander round it, understand and explore a monument, a museum and gardens.

A treasure of the heritage of haute Provence, with its medieval priory, the contemporary stained-glass windows by Aurélie Nemours and archaeological remains.

A museum devoted to the heritage of Haute Provence, with both permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Remarkable ethnobotanical gardens with 1,700 cultivated plants in a lush, green setting, to be discovered like an open-air book.

A historical monument

Made up of a priory which is a listed historical monument on a site which dates back 2,000 years. Primarily a Gaulois habitat before it became a Gallo-Roman villa, Salagon was Christianized in late Antiquity.

A Romanesque church and a Renaissance priory

Discover the archaeological remains and architecture which date back to 12th and 16th century.
This former Benedictine priory has kept its church with two naves, a Renaissance lodging and two cobbled courtyards.

Farming outbuildings (16th and 19th century) complete the ensemble.
The contemporary stained-glass windows by artist Aurélie Nemours complete the church.

A museum devoted to the heritage of haute Provence

Salagon is a museum which is devoted to the heritage of Haute Provence. It tells the story and enhances the past and present culture of this territory.

Its collection is essentially made up of objects from the everyday life of the peasants of the Basses-Alpes. Salagon is Ethnopôle approved for the quality of its research on the “know-how of nature”.

There are also temporary exhibitions every year.

Ethnobotanical gardens

Just below the monument, you can take an extremely pleasant, light-filled walk through the gardens – a blend of pleasure and learning. A place of science, Salagon invites visitors to discover ethnobotany, to understand the relations woven through time between man and plants.

With its 1,700 cultivated species, the site is managed ecologically and you can also discover the indigenous plants that grow in the Provencal hills and prairies.

Salagon is an aesthetic creation, an educational tool and a site for the preservation of plants and know-how.

• The Garden of Fragrances, a sensory trail which plays with your sense of smell.
• The Medieval Garden to show what gardens before the discovery of the Americas would be, with their organisation and how plants were used.
• Just next door, the Jardin de la Noria is designed in the spirit of the courtly garden as a place of rest.
• The Garden of Modern Times traces the geographical origin of the plants which make up our day-to-day life.
• The Garden of Simples and village plants is a collection of all the plants used in the traditional society of Haute-Provence.

Programme of events

The museum offers a programme for all members of the public in the framework of the great national events: the “Nuit des musées” (Museum Night), “Rendez-vous aux jardins”, the “Journées du heritage” (heritage days) and also in the cultural events organised by the Department: carnival, printemps des Poètes, night visits of the gardens in simmer.

Courses, workshops and conferences are offered all year round.

 

Audio guides are available in French, English, Italian and German.

They provide commentary on the whole site: the priory and gardens and allow you to freely compose your visit.

The museum is Qualité Tourisme, Musée de France and Jardin remarquable approved.

Salagon, museum and gardens in Mane: www.musee-de-salagon.com