Saint-Chef Museum

Located in the heart of the village, in a 16th-century house, the museum retraces almost 15 centuries of Saint-Chef's history: the origins of the abbey, the interpretation of the Romanesque frescoes in the church, local traditions, Louis Seigner and Frédéric Dard.
The museum is a must for exploring the rich history of Saint-Chef.

Housed in the former residence of the Seigneur de By, the collections are divided into two large themed rooms.

The history of the village begins in the 6th century with the creation of a hermitage. Take a journey through the 15 centuries of Saint-Chef's history, and witness the different periods of construction of one of the most important abbeys of the Middle Ages in the region.

A 3D reconstruction will enable you to discover one of the finest treasures of Romanesque art: the frescoes in the upper chapel of the abbey church.
These 12th-century Romanesque frescoes are unique in France.

You'll end your visit by discovering the rich local heritage of winegrowing and adobe construction.

Other rooms are devoted to the town's illustrious characters:
- Frédéric Dard, alias San Antonio, is buried in the cemetery of Saint-Chef, his home town, with the only public collection of the most widely-read writer of the 20th century, his life story, his novels, his desk and his typewriter.
- The actors and actresses in the Seigner family, including Louis,
- The writer Marius Rolliet.

The Saint-Chef museum offers a fun, varied visitor experience suitable for everyone, in the Balcons du Dauphiné, less than an hour from Lyon.