Must-See Museums in the South of France

NEWS | September 16, 2020

Clos Saint-Bernard called villa Noailles. Photography: Olivier Amsellem. © Olivier Amsellem.

France's "PACA" is an acronym for Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d'Azur, as if you could fit any more natural wonders in the same place. And that's not all, this region is also full of cultural spaces that are worth the visit.

Villa Noailles, in Hyères

Perched in the hills of Hyères, a beautiful town on the Mediterranean, the avant-garde Villa Noailles was imagined and constructed by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens in the 1920s for Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, a well-known Parisian couple. The villa thus became something of an unofficial cultural incubator, often welcoming prominent guests from the artistic and intellectual scene — Buñuel, Man Ray, Cocteau, Giacometti, Picasso, the list goes on. Since then, this symbol of modern art has been transformed into an exhibition space that exposes the work of architects, designers, photographers, and other artists all year round, all while featuring the International Festival of Fashion and Photography, as well as the Design Parade and a permanent collection on the Villa's history.

The Granet Museum, in Aix-en-Provence

Aix, known as "the city of a thousand fountains," is also bursting with architectural gems, and the Granet Museum is one of its crown examples. The museum was named in 1949 for one of its most generous benefactors, painter François Marius Granet. Throughout the years, the museum received charitable gifts that allowed for the expansion and enrichment of its initial collections. A real garden of artistic delights, it now offers visitors the chance to see over 12,000 works. Among them: eight paintings by master impressionist Paul Cézanne, who called Aix his hometown, as well as a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the 20th and 21st centuries including donations from Philippe Meyer and Jean Planque. Works by Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas are also featured along with Picasso, Braque, and even Dubuffet.

The Maeght Foundation, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Founded by the art-dealer and philanthropist couple Aimé and Marguerite Maeght, the Maeght Foundation is a leading private French foundation collecting contemporary and modern art. Based on the model of American art foundations, this jewel is nestled in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a quaint village in the Var region beloved by actors and artists past and present — Simone Signoret and Yves Montant, Picasso, Chagal, and even Matisse. The foundation presents works by some of the most notable artists of the 20th century: Joan Miró, Fernand Léger, Giacometti, the list goes on. Designed by Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert with an eye to establishing a constant dialogue between spaces interior and exterior, the complex roofing is punctuated by sky-turned arches that serve as a stunning backdrop to numerous in-situ works, such as a mosaic by Georges Braque, a monumental sculpture by Alexander Calder, or Ellsworth Kelly's colorful minimalist paintings. Until November 22, 2020, visitors can explore the first monographic exhibition devoted to the painter Jacques Monory.