The 43rd European Heritage Days will kick off on Friday 18 September at 6 pm, in the courtyard of the former secondary school. This opening evening, which is free and requires no booking, will begin with a presentation of the weekend’s programme, followed by a participatory workshop led by visual artist Victoria Niki. The public are invited to create bricks from recycled paper, binding agent and coloured pigments, which will form part of a collective artwork inspired by the town’s architecture. It will be on display from November at the CIAP. The evening will conclude with a drinks reception in the company of the artist and the tour guides.
Villegmca Usm@montaubantourisme 1
The weekend of 19 and 20 September offers the chance to explore some of Montauban’s most iconic venues, which are not usually open to the public.
The Tarn-et-Garonne Prefecture, housed in the former Hôtel Prat Dumiral, is opening its courtyard, garden and reception rooms to the public.
The Town Hall, which has been housed in the former Hôtel d’Aliès since 1908, can be visited with local councillors, from the courtyard right through to the wedding hall.
The Sapiac Stadium, built over a century ago and now home to USM, the 2025 French Pro D2 champions, can be explored from the stands to the changing rooms.
The storage facilities at the Ingres Bourdelle Museum, opened in 2008, finally reveal the conservation conditions for the thousands of works housed there.
Other, more secluded venues are opening their doors exceptionally for the weekend.
The neo-Gothic Chapel of the Guardian Angel, built in the late 19th century at the heart of the former boarding school run by the Dames de Nevers, features décor dedicated to female figures such as saints and nuns.
The Montauban Municipal Archives are opening their storage areas and displaying objects and gifts donated to the town over the years.
At the Ingres Bourdelle Museum, medieval remainsinvite visitors to become architectural archaeologists, exploring the buried arch of the Pont Vieux and legends of underground passages, whilst the graphic arts gallery unveils the richness of the museum’s collection of drawings, in the company of its chief curator.
Vg Eb Secret@ciap
Ingres and Fashion Exhibition 2026, Montauban
These days also offer an opportunity to (re)discover the permanent collections of Montalbanais museums.
At the Ingres Bourdelle Museum, the temporary exhibition “Ingres and Fashion” highlights, through more than 250 items (paintings, drawings, textiles, accessories and period documents), the painter’s unique attention to the depiction of fabrics and drapery.
The exhibition “Françoise Pétrovitch: Vivid Memories”, meanwhile, offers a contemporary immersion in the Prince Noir Room.
The Museum of the Resistance and the Combatant, at the Espace Perbosc, is presenting a temporary exhibition dedicated to the rescue of nearly 500 Jewish children in Moissac during the Second World War, complemented by the show “Singing is also a form of resistance!”.
As for what’s new,
the Émergence Theatre, which has just opened on Place Claude Nougaro, opens its doors on Saturday for a guided tour with the general manager and the cultural mediator. With a flexible capacity ranging from 410 to 1,070 seats, it enriches the region’s cultural offering for live performances and concerts.
The Musée des Compagnons, housed in a 17th-century townhouse, is also offering a special open day: its inner courtyard and museum of masterpieces are open to the public free of charge, with demonstrations of traditional craftsmanship by master chefs, jewellers and carpenters.
©muséecompagnons (3)
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Villegmca Reynies@patrickfischer 2
The programme extends well beyond Montauban.
In Reyniès, two guided tours offer the chance to explore the 13th-century castle and its grounds overlooking the River Tarn, as well as the Art Deco district, rebuilt after the floods of 1930 and comprising over 130 houses. An exhibition of vintage cars rounds off the weekend there.
In Montbeton, an exhibition dedicated to the village’s photographic heritage is followed by a concert in the church.
In Escatalens, the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine and its restored frescoes are open to visitors, as is the town council chamber, whilst a 3 km walking trail takes you on a tour of 16 dovecotes and the Saint-Julien fountain.
Finally, SMERP is organising a walk exploring Montalbanais’ Protestant heritage, and the Tarn-et-Garonne Departmental Archives are running their own programme (guided tours, a cyanotype workshop, a ride in a vintage vehicle, and talks).
