History of the Museum

Nyon has always existed in direct contact with the remains of its past; the mediaeval and modern town completely covers the remains of the Roman town, and its centre has remained on the same site since ancient times. Roman materials were frequently used in later buildings and the finds dug up over the centuries now constitute the core of the Museum's collections.

A local history museum was founded in 1860 and this was when genuine archaeological research commenced. This museum was subsequently installed in the Castle and continued to develop. From the 1930's on research was stepped up and great strides began to be made in knowledge of the Roman colony.

In 1979, following the 1974 discovery of the basilica in the Roman forum, and thanks to support from visionary political and scientific authorities, a new museum was laid out below ground level to house the Roman collections, its area demarcated by what remains of the foundations of the ancient building.

The lightness of touch adopted for the scenic aspect of the exhibition has stood up to two major reorganisations - the extension in 1993 and the renovation of the permanent exhibition in 2009.