Set inside a handsome 18th-century mansion, this museum is home to a remarkable collection of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century art. Works include masterpieces by Degas, Daumier, Sisley, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso and Modigliani. On the first floor, the rooms of the house are immaculately furnished and decorated in period style.
Things to see in Avignon
Tourist offices
Address: 41 cours Jean Jaurès, Avignon, 84004, France
Tel: +33 4 3274 3274.
Opening Hours:Mon-Sat 0900-1800; Sun 1000-1700 (Apr-Oct); Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1000-1200 (Nov-Mar). www.avignon-tourisme.com
The tourist office has an extensive selection of brochures on sights, accommodation and restaurants, as well as information on what to do in the Vaucluse department. It can also arrange tours of the city and surrounding area.
The free Avignon PASSion card offers discounts at attractions and concessions on tourist transport. Available from participating museums and the tourist office, markdowns take effect once the holder visits the first attraction at full-price. Participating sights include Musée Calvet, Musée Vouland, Musée du Petit Palais, Palais des Papes and Pont St Bénezet. The pass is valid for two weeks
More fortress than palace, this mighty landmark looms above Avignon. The square in front is the impressive setting for the Avignon Festival. Built for popes who decamped from Rome to Avignon in the 14th century, it combines two structures – the austere 'Old Palace' and the extravagantly gothic 'New Palace'.
“Sur le pont d'Avignon on y danse, on y danse” – the old song still draws visitors to this 12th-century bridge, formally known as Pont St Bénezet. Only four of its original 22 arches remain, leaving the bridge uncompleted in the middle of the Rhone. Its Chapelle St Nicholas should not be missed. Its museum contains a 3D exhibition.
Peaceful Île de la Barthelasse, Europe’s largest river island, rests between two arms of the Rhône. Easily reached on foot, by bus or by a free ferry, the island is Avignon’s principal leisure spot. There are parks, cycle paths, waterside walks, and campsites, plus restaurants and sports facilities, including boat and bike hire.
Housed in a splendid 18th-century mansion, Musée Calvet displays a varied collection of artworks from the 15th to the 20th century. It ranges from fine arts to decorative crafts such as tapestry, jewellery and porcelain, as well as works by Corot, Manet, Sisley and Modigliani. It has a remarkable archaeology collection too.
On the northern end of place du Palais, the Little Palace Museum houses an impressive collection of frescoes and Italian art from the 13th to 16th centuries, including works by Botticelli and Carpaccio. The Angel of the Annunciation, by Sano Di Pietro, is one of its most remarkable paintings.
The ramps from the Palais des Papes lead to the Rocher des Doms, site of Avignon's earliest settlement. The rocky area was landscaped in the 18th century into a pleasant shady plateau with an artificial rock garden. Terraces were laid out in the 20th century, offering views of the Rhône, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and the Alpilles.
Buses link Avignon with its suburban villeneuve (new town) across the Rhône in Languedoc. Originally Villeneuve allowed the King of France to keep an eye on the popes on the far side of the river. It soon became a pleasant village with luxurious residences, a fort, a monastery and lavish gardens.
Housed in the Musée d'Art Contemporain, this collection contains work by many of the world’s leading contemporary artists, including Cy Twombly, Sol LeWitt, Donald Judd, Niele Toroni, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Anselm Kiefer, Christian Boltansky, Nan Goldin and Douglas Gordon. The museum was greatly expanded ahead of its reopening in July 2015.
Art collector Louis Vouland (1883-1973) bequeathed his 19th-century townhouse and huge collection of arts and crafts to the state. His home was restored and opened in 1982, displaying quirky 17th- and 18th-century decorative arts. A dainty travel tea set in Sèvres faïence, which belonged to the Comtesse du Barry, steals the show.
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