MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAS

Established under the Terror in the former Jacobin convent, the Auch museum is one of the oldest in France. Spread over three levels, it holds more than 20,000 objects. The Museum of the Americas is the second largest collection of pre-Columbian art after the Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris. This collection started thanks to the interest of a certain Guillaume Pujols, an Auscitain exiled in South America with a passion for archaeology. He brought back about a hundred pieces from his travels. When he became curator of the Auch museum in 1911, he decided to exhibit them to the public. He bequeathed to the museum his magnificent pre-Hispanic collections from Peru and Mexico and Latin American sacred art. Don't miss the Mass of Saint Gregory, a painting made with feathers in Mexico City in 1539. The museum's second collection features works that span the period from antiquity to the Middle Ages. The works from Ancient Egypt come from a bequest by Charles Palanque. Also of note is a monumental statue of the Emperor Trajan and a superb 11th century carved ivory oliphant. The museum does not forget local history with the arts and popular traditions of Gascony, nor the fine arts. The museum's collection comes from the collection of works of art found in State buildings and the homes of emigrants in the Gers. But perhaps the most attractive paintings are those of the Italian painter Mario Cavaglieri, who captured the soul and light of the region.