When the visitor arrives in Avignon, he has in his head the desire to visit the Palace of the Popes and the Bridge of Avignon. It would be a shame to think that these are the only things to visit in the papal city. Indeed, Avignon also has exceptional museums. 5 of them are free. In this article, I am going to present you the museums of Avignon.
The Requien Museum: museum of natural history
Requien museum
We owe this museum to the will of Esprit Requien (1788-1851). He worked all his life to create and support this museum. He said: “The thought of my whole life was to endow my hometown with a museum of natural history, worthy of it, I did it I think and it took all my activity, turn my time and the sacrifice of most of my heritage … “.
Very young, he became passionate about botany and began his cabinet of curiosity. He donated all the things he had accumulated. However, it will be necessary to wait until 1903 so that the public can see part of this collection. In 1943, the museum will settle definitively in the premises that it occupies at present.
In this museum, you will discover the fauna and flora of Vaucluse since pre-historic times. It is the fifth herbarium in France and it has over a million plant and mineral animal species.
Useful informations :
- Address: 63, rue Joseph Vernet, Avignon
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm
- Type of museum: natural history museum
- Contact: website
Museums of Avignon : the Petit Palais
Built in 1317, the Petit Palais was almost exclusively the livery of the cardinal bishops of Avignon although Pierre d’Aigrefeuille occupied it during his episcopate without having been named cardinal.
During the first siege of the Palace of the Popes (1398-1408), the Petit Palais served as barracks for the troops commanded by Geoffroy le Meingre. Rodrigue de Luna will annex it, during the second siege (15th century), to the defence system of the palace.
The classification of various elements as historical monuments took place in 1910.
Practically abandoned it was recovered by the State and the city of Avignon in the early 1970s and restored and restructured in order to make a museum, the Museum of the Petit Palais opened in 1976. It is a unique museum in its genre, since it is mainly based on painting before the second half of the sixteenth century, it has none the less one of the most important international collections of Italian primitives, with 325 paintings of more than 130 artists, and the largest in France with that of the Louvre Museum.
Usueful informations :
- Address: Place du Palais, Avignon
- Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm
- Museum type: museum of Italian primitives (paintings)
- Contact : Website
The Roure Palace
It all began when Pierre Baroncelli acquired the mulberry tavern and adjacent houses in 1469. He established his home there. Over the centuries, improvements will be made by the Baroncelli family, who were an important family in Avignon. In the nineteenth century, Frederic Mistral gives it the name we know him at the moment. Roure meaning oak, in reference to the sculpture of tree branches above the front door
Gate of the Roure Palace
Its sale in 1908 will cause considerable damage. Her salvation will come from Jeanne de Flandreysy who bought it to make it a home of Mediterranean culture. In 1944, the city inherits the Flandreysy-Esperandieu Foundation.
The visit of the museum allows the discovering of an exceptional building as well as furniture and objects of Provence.
Useful informations :
- Address: 3 rue du College du Roure, Avignon
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm, closed on public holidays
- Type of museum: Mediterranean culture
The Lapidary Museum
The College of Jesuits, founded in 1564 built this church in 1620. Baroque style, its facade has two floors separated by an imposing cornice. The museum Calvet will affect the lapidary collections from 1933.
As in other museums, we visit a monument. You can admire Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Roman and Gallo-Roman artefacts and sculptures as well as many remains from Avignon’s antiquity.
Useful informations :
- Address: 27 rue de la République, Avignon
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm, closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25
- Museum type: ancient objects and sculptures
- Contact: website
The Calvet Museum: one of the best museums of Avignon
The current building is the result of the eccentricities of Jacques-Ignace de Villeneuve who decided to destroy the existing residence to build a new one in 1741. It took 8 years to finish the work. The city will buy the building in 1833 after renting it for a few years. This acquisition will allow the museum stability over time.
The collection is extraordinary. You will be able to admire objects that date back to ancient Egypt. But also paintings of the city of Avignon of the 17th and 18th centuries. Finally, you can appreciate the genius of the Mignards brothers or Joseph Vernet.
Useful informations:
- Address: 27 rue de la République, Avignon
- Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm, closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25
- Museum type: paintings, sculptures, antiques
- Contact : website
The other museums of Avignon
I have just presented the 5 municipal museums that are free. Avignon is very rich artistically and historically. That’s why there are private museums that you must see.
The Angladon museum
The museum proposes to make you discover the collection of Jacques Doucet. In this one, you can admire paintings of Picasso, Van Gogh, Dugas, Mondigliani. A unique collection which is really worth the detours.
The Lambert collection
If you like contemporary art, the Lambert collection is the place to go. The permanent collection is quite rich. You can admire a work of Basquiat. The temporary collections are always of very high quality.
Avignon is a museum
The city of Avignon is full of architectural treasures. From the 12 century, you can see the famous bridge of Avignon . The Palace of the Popes is of course the most impressive of all. But the city with its steep streets, has facades of all styles. You will be able to cross a gothic element which côtoie a window renaissance. The whole under the eyes of a baroque facade.
I invite you visit this open-air museum in an original way. In a small group, at nightfall, to get into intimacy with this heritage. Chek the amazing night tours you can see in Avignon.
