Musee Calvet (Calvet Museum), Avignon (must see)

The Calvet Museum (Musée Calvet) in Avignon stands as the city’s principal museum, showcasing an extensive and varied collection of fine arts, decorative arts, and ethnography. Housed primarily in an 18th-century mansion, the museum’s collection is split between this historic building and a separate Lapidary Museum located in the former chapel of the city's Jesuit college on Republic Street (Rue de la République). Both museums operate under the Fondation Calvet, which continues to expand and preserve the museum's rich collection.

The museum's origins trace back to Esprit Calvet, a prominent collector and physiocrat who dedicated his life to medicine and the arts. In his will of 1810, Calvet bequeathed his library, natural history collection, and cabinet of antiquities to his hometown of Avignon, along with funds to ensure their accessibility as a public institution. Napoleon I formalized this legacy in 1811, allowing the city to accept Calvet's bequest, resulting in the establishment of the museum that bears his name.

The Calvet Museum's art collection spans centuries, featuring French paintings from the 16th to 20th centuries by artists like Simon de Châlons and Joe Downing. It includes Italian Baroque and Rococo works by Luca Giordano and Francesco Zuccarelli, Nordic paintings from the Northern Renaissance, and Spanish pieces by Luis Morales. The drawing collection showcases works by Cézanne, Rodin, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Chagall. Sculptures from French, Italian, and northern schools, spanning the late Middle Ages to the 19th century, include pieces by Camille Claudel and Jean-Joseph Espercieux.

Beyond fine arts, the museum also holds an array of decorative arts, including goldwork, faience, porcelain, tapestries, ironwork, and ethnographic collections from Asia, Oceania, and Africa. The hôtel de Villeneuve-Martignan, which houses the main museum, has its storied past. Originally built as an extension in 1734 by Jacques-Ignace de Villeneuve and later reconstructed between 1741 and 1749 by Jean-Baptiste Franque, the building was eventually acquired by the city in 1833 specifically to serve as a museum. Recognized for its historical significance, the hôtel de Villeneuve-Martignan was designated a monument historique on 1 October 1963, preserving its architectural legacy alongside the treasures within its walls.