The Gallery of Civilisations

Step back in time and dive into wine’s universal history

Wine has been a part of human life since before 6,000 BCE, serving a wide range of purposes: wine for social and everyday drinking, wine for special occasions and political events, medicinal wine, holy wine… It has always played a particular role in our societies and has been present both at our tables and in our rituals.

In this area of the Permanent Exhibition, we invite you to travel back in time to explore the universal history of wine though a large gallery of ten themed rooms. This immersive journey will transport you through the ages from the most ancient civilisations to the 20^th century, offering a unique insight into the evolution of wine and its uses over time.

Discover the first traces of winemaking in the Near East and at the foot of Caucasus Mountains…
Explore the Egyptian tombs and discover the magnificent paintings describing the production of wine, as well as a surprising medical papyrus.
Immerse yourself in the ritual banquets of Ancient Greece, where wine shared in honour of the god Dionysos was accompanied by philosophical discourse, music and dance…
Plunge into the lively atmosphere of the Roman taverns, where wine was at the heart of social exchanges, and discover the astonishing modernity of Roman agricultural treatises.
Discover the first wine bar in London dedicated to a Bordeaux wine in the 17^th century, and how coffee and chocolate contributed to the rise of the great red wines we know today.
Step back in time to the golden age of the first World Exhibitions, a period that saw the triumph of science and the great architects of the 19^th century who designed the great Bordeaux châteaux…
Did you know that at the end of this glorious period, the vineyards of Europe all but disappeared? Discover the astonishing story of the fight against phylloxera and the reconstruction of our vineyards.

Each room is designed to offer a unique experience combining spectacular décor, symbolic objects from each era, models, animated films and miniature 3D scenes that all tell fascinating stories.

Book your ticket to the Permanent Exhibition today and embark on a journey through time and space that will reveal the multiple facets of wine and its profound impact on human societies.

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