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The goal of the S.A.M.F. is to study and provide information on the historical monuments of the South of France. It brings together historians, art historians, and archeologists, whose works are published in the "Mémoires", published annually.

The S.A.M.F. is housed in the Hotel d'Assezat, given to the Town of Toulouse in 1895 by Theodore Ozenne, in order to lodge "perfectly and freely" the Academies and Learned Societies (Académies et Sociétés Savantes). The S.A.M.F. shares the building with the Académie des Jeux Floraux (founded in 1323), the Académie des Sciences, Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (founded in 1640), the Société de Médecine, Chirurgie et Pharmacie (founded in 1801), the Académie de Législation (founded in 1851), and the Société de Géographie (founded in 1882).

In 1996, the Bemberg Foundation (http://www.fondation-bemberg.fr) joined the Academies and Learned Societies, along with the addition of a modern annex, built by the Town of Toulouse, where the libraries, archives and reading rooms are now housed.

The S.A.M.F. was founded on June 2, 1831, on the initiative of Alexandre Du Mege, which gave it the motto Gloriae majorum, and of the marquis of Castellane, who was its first president.

It was recognized as a public service by a law enacted on November 10, 1850.

From the outset, the Archeological Society has been concerned with enriching the collections of the new Museum of Toulouse, setting up an acquisitions committee, then transferring its own collections on several occasions to the town. In this way the Museums of Toulouse gained the exceptional collection of Roman sculpture consisting of the famous group of imperial busts from Beziers, and the famous medieval sculptures at the Augustins Museum, as well as many drawings, prints and engravings exhibited at the Paul-Dupuy Museum.

As an academic society, the S.A.M.F. includes a maximum of 40 titular members, 10 honorary members, 20 members at large, and an unlimited number of correspondent members. Candidacy to the position of correspondent, addressed to the President, are given to reporters and voted upon by the titular members.

During the academic year, from November to June, the Society meets twice monthly. These closed meetings provides an opportunity to hear papers read by its members, to exchange information or to debate a variety of questions concerning research, conservation and restoration of our heritage. Summaries of the meetings are published in the Bulletin, which is found at the end of each issue of the Mémoires.

Every year, in the Spring, the Society organizes a public meeting at which an account of the year's activities is followed first by the awarding of prizes to the competition winners, then by a lecture on the theme of the art and history of the South of France.