The official Valley of Wonders Museum
A visit to the museum will give you an insight into the beliefs and daily life of our distant ancestors who lived in these mountain territories from the Neolithic period to the last century.
The archeological collections include many remains from the various excavations. Visitors can admire weapons and tools made of flint and then metal, as well as ceramics. The stone and metal ornaments highlight the dexterity of the people who lived here, from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the slopes of Mont Bégo. The museum of wonders of Tende allows visitors to become familiar with the way of life of the breeders and farmers behind the engravings.
Some of the engraved rocks were removed to be protected from damage or theft and are now on display in the museum. The establishment also houses many casts, among the most characteristic of the site. You will be able to admire the rocks known as the échelle du Paradis (Ladder of Paradise) or the Chef de Tribu (Chief of the Tribe). Bovid, geometric figures, weapons, representations of human beings testify to the diversity of the engravings scattered over a territory of 14 km².
The ethnological collections consist of original documents, historical works, books and objects from the Roya Valley and the neighboring Italian valleys of Piedmont. Grouped into several themes, these objects evoke the daily life of the inhabitants of these isolated alpine valleys between the 18th and 20th centuries. We find patterns that are very present in alpine culture such as sun crosses, rosettes, dates and initials, religious, and schematic or geometric motifs. Reproductions of rocks also remind us that the tradition of engraving on the site of the Valley of Wonders has been perpetuated. From the 16th century, mountain dwellers in turn engraved the rock: pilgrims, sailors, soldiers, religious and shepherds thus wanted to contribute to this exceptional historical heritage.
