Museum of the Americas, Auch, Ethnographic museum in Auch, France

The Museum of the Americas occupies the former Jacobin convent between the Claude-Desbons promenade and Sainte-Marie Cathedral. Its church facade of pale ashlar has a triangular pediment on four fluted Corinthian pilasters, blue double doors, and the carved inscription "EGLISE des JACOBINS". Inside, the church has two unequal naves separated by a single row of pillars.

The Jacobin convent was founded in 1386 outside the town walls; two 15th-century vaults and the chapel of the Virgin survive from that period. In 1643 the architects Jean and Pierre Castéra rebuilt the facade, nave and cloister, and in 1780 the prior Jean-Jacques de Pommaret added the convent buildings along the streets. The town bought the convent in 1976, and the museum, created on 16 December 1793, moved in that same year after three years of works.

The museum's name comes from its focus on the Americas, and its garden is a 1,600 m² French-style park planted with decorative and edible species brought back from the Americas by the conquistadors. The "Trésors du Pérou" room and the Andean gallery display ceramics, textiles and goldwork taken straight from the restoration workshops.

Plan to spend several hours exploring all three levels, as the collections are extensive and warrant careful viewing. Starting from the top floor and working downward makes it easier to navigate through the building's layout.

The museum holds a rare feather artwork from 1539 that ranks among the oldest known examples of this delicate craft. This fragile object demonstrates the skill and ingenuity of ancient American artisans.