Museum Requien – Musée d'Histoire Naturelle

The natural history collections, gathered in the Hôtel de Raphaélis de Soissans in the 1940s, are now estimated to contain 1,2 million specimens. The Requien herbarium alone is estimated at 150 to 300 plants. Minerals, rocks, fossils and shells complete this historical and scientific collection where researchers find material for study. Since then, purchases by the Calvet Foundation and the City of Avignon, supplemented by donations from individuals or associations to one or the other, have enriched this naturalist collection.

During occasional exhibitions, artists and visual artists find in these collections material to explain the world differently.

A sample of past biodiversity, the Requien Museum works to disseminate current knowledge. A permanent exhibition recounts the geological history of Vaucluse and its surroundings, while temporary exhibitions present the riches of our natural heritage to the general public and school groups: depending on the themes addressed, specimens previously carefully preserved in reserves become visible to all.

The Requien Museum houses collections from all areas of natural sciences:
Geology: fossils, rocks and minerals…
Zoology: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, either preserved or in the form of skeletons, insects, shells…
Botany: plants, mosses, lichens, seeds, fruits, wood…
In addition, a natural sciences library, initiated by Esprit Requien himself, allows passionate individuals to access precise and varied documentation.

Thus, in Avignon, specimens dating back billions of years coexist with those from the present day!

CLOSED FROM DECEMBER 1ST TO JANUARY 1ST INCLUSIVE.

IH: The ground floor of the museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility.