Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" with the famous Captain Nemo, "The Secret of Rackham the Red", one of the adventures of Tintin, two examples of stories where the suit has a beautiful place.
Before scuba divers were equipped with comfortable wetsuits, they had to wear this curious outfit made up of soft or rigid clothing, a helmet with portholes and weighted shoes.
Supported by specialized institutions and companies, the museum that tells the story shows many pieces, some of which are very rare.
The museum is located on the banks of the Lot, in the former church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Espalion and was founded in 1977, jointly with the Musée d’Arts et traditions populaires Joseph-Vaylet.
It was in this pretty town that the mining engineer Benoît Rouquayrol and the sailor Auguste Denayrouze, Lieutenant de Navarre, both from Aveyron, invented the first modern self-contained diving suit in 1864... with the creation of a membrane self-contained regulator.
Two hundred kilometres from the sea!
Jules Verne was inspired by their devices to equip Captain Nemo in his novel "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".
Over 400 pieces are on display, attracting specialists from all over the world.
Currently, the Diving Equipment Museum and the Joseph Vaylet Museum of Arts and Traditions are located in the same building; since they share a single entrance, you can visit both museums.
The Diving Museum
38 rue Droite
Ancienne Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste
12500 Espalion
Country of Espalion Tourism
Phone : 05 65 44 09 18 / 05 65 75 82 27
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
