Museum / Gallery Sights in Provence

Opened in 1991, the Yves Brayer Museum displays a hundred or so canvas paintings, watercolours and drawings representative of the artist's work.

This museum owes its growth to the naturalist Esprit Requien (1758-1851), who was the most famous of Avignon scientists of his time. From an old middle class family, he devoted himself early to botany. By age 18, he is active in the Botanical Garden of the city of Avignon and is a herbarium that quickly acquired great importance.

This small museum can be found in the centre of Cucuron and houses the collection of a local photographer & prehistorian, Marc Deydier who lived from 1845 to 1920.

From cultivation right through to the essential oil, come here and discover the journey of a plant whose fragrance and many virtues have been our childhood companions!

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.

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.

Cezannes studio was created in Aix-en-Provence in 1902 and this is where he worked until he died in 1906.

This museum houses a collection of around 250 chandeliers and a large library and collection of photos dedicated to these wonderful pieces of art.

Just outside the village of Gordes lies the archaeological remains of a Bronze age village. The Village des Bories dates back to around 2000BC. You can still see ancient sheep pens, stone beehive houses (bories) and bread ovens.

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 Musee Reattu presents collections of ancient and contemporary paintings, sculptures, tapestry, photography and sounds. Amongst these is a collection of some fifty seven drawings by Picasso.

Created in 1919, this museum is located inside a former townhouse, the Hôtel Mistral de Montdragon, which dates from the Renaissance period and is classified as an historical landmark.

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.

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

Objects from local and regional sources, with the exception of a fund of Greek ceramics, Etruscan, Italiot, derived from bequests from private collections and a deposit of the State (Campana).

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

Museum charting the history of transport in the area, with lots of old vehicles to look at. Located in an old rail warehouse in Breil.

After your explorations in Glanum, it's worth visiting the asylum where Vincent van Gogh spent one year after the dramatic incident in Arles. The Monastère de St-Paul-de-Mausole is just a short ride from Glanum. Since 1605 it has functioned as a psychiatric hospital, remaining so today.