Montolieu

Among the highlights are two medieval statues of the Virgin and Child. One, made of polychrome wood, stands above the door, beneath the entrance porch. The other, a large statue carved from limestone, has been restored and will soon be placed in its permanent alcove inside the church. Numerous sculptures and several antique paintings adorn the walls of the nave and chapels. The painting of the Archangel Saint Michael, depicted in aerial combat with the devil, is full of movement. The high altar is made of marble.

The museum traces the history of the book from the birth of writing to the advent of printing: the origins of writing, from pictograms to alphabets, including cuneiform and ideographic script; the history of various materials: clay tablets of Sumerian accountants, papyrus of Egyptian scribes, parchment of copyist monks, and paper; the adventure of printing, from movable lead type invented by Gutenberg to type-casting machines, from hand presses to rotary presses; and the techniques and tools of bookbinders and engravers. The museum also offers an exploration of printmaking and printing today.

Nice views of the cliff and the river. Panorama.