Museum / Gallery Sights in Provence

Located in the heart of Arles the Museon Arlaten is really the 'Museum of Arles' itself. The museum was the initiative of the great local poet Frederic Mistral (1830-1914), it presents a all encompassing view of Provence from the end of the 18th Century up to today.

The Calvet Museum today houses works of art from the 16th to 20th century, and holds innumerable collections donated or bequeathed by patrons, art lovers and collectors, such as Baron de Montfaucon, Esprit Requien, Noël Biret, the Montlaur family, and recently Marcel Puech.

This museum exhibits photos, records and videos of life during the occupation of France, the resistance movement in the Vaucluse and pieces by poets, writers and artists.

Originally founded in 1882, this family run business making traditional Scourtins survives to this day.

Not only is this modern building home to the museum of contemporary art, but it also houses Nimes central library.

This area is well known for it's ochre pigment found in the soil, and a tour of the Mines de Bruoux show you the underground caverns that were created.

The Musee d'Allauch welcomes you in the heart of the old village of Allauch. It is housed in the Hotel de Ville, now totally restored.

This a popular museum to visit for anyone following the Lavender routes around Provence, attracting around 50,000 visitors per year. 

The Musee des Tapisseries houses a rich collection of 17th and 18th Century tapestries, including a collection called 'Grotesques' - theatrical taspestrie made in Beauvais cir. 1689, and also 'L'histoire de Don Quichotte' of 1735 unique in the world.

Originally a stone quarry, the Carrieres de Lumieres has been transformed into a backdrop for a stunning audio visual show, where images are projected on to the walls and the floor. Each year a different artist and theme is chosen to lead the display.

With items from prehistoric times, and fine arts and decorative arts from as early as the 17th century, all the way up to the first half of the 20th century.

At the beginning of World War II, France interned all Austrian and German nationals who were living in France at the time, and Les Milles was the prison for the south eastern region.

Finally visitors will be able to experience the cave paintings of the Grotte Chauvet in the state of the art replica that has been created by artists and builders.

Located in the former farmhouse at Rousty Bridge the Camargue Museum reopened in November 2013 after a year of renovation.

The Petit Palais museum owes its name to the familiar name of the Archbishops Palace in which it is installed, name that it was given by reference to the great neighbouring palace: the Palais des Papes.

This is Aix's fine art gallery, housed in the 17th century Palais de Malte. The collections includes works by a variety of European painters, including two by Rubens and a small selection of Paul Cezanne.

This museum (Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée — MuCEM) showcases civilisations in the Mediterranean in the twenty first century, and has been developed by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

This museum was created to protect one of the most important petroglyph sites in Europe, in the Merveilles Valley (valley of Wonders).