Musee Calvet

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The Hôtel de Villeneuve-Martignan, where a portion of the Calvet Museum is housed, is one of the Foundation's most prestigious properties. Jean-Baptiste Franque, helped by his son François, erected this magnificent 18th-century palace in a Franco-Italian style, complete with a courtyard and garden. The splendid private residence purchased by the city from the Montlaur family at the beginning of the twentieth century has been added to and adjoined to it. Today, the Calvet Museum exhibits works of art from the 16th to the 20th centuries, as well as several collections donated or bequeathed by patrons, art enthusiasts, and collectors such as Esprit Requien, Nol Biret, Baron de Montfaucon, the Montlaur family, and, most recently, Marcel Puech. 


The Calvet Museum has been designated a Museum of France due to the prominence of its holdings. Its inventory includes tens of thousands of pieces from fields as diverse as archaeology, fine arts drawings, paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, gold and silverware, earthenware and tapestries, ironware, porcelain, and ethnology, Oceania, Africa, and Asia. Modern art has not been ignored, and there is a space dedicated to it. The Foundation also has an Egyptian collection on display. 


Things to do at Musee Calvet:

  • Paintings: 

French paintings span a wide period, from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Several dozen painters are on show, ranging from Renaissance artist Simon de Châlons to Franco-American artist Joe Downing from the second part of the twentieth century. Italian paintings are primarily from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, with notable Baroque artists such as Filippo Abbiati and Luca Giordano, as well as Rococo painters such as Francesco Zuccarelli. The collection of Nordic paintings throws new insight into the Northern European Renaissance, with works by painters such as Johann Koerbecke and Cornelis van Poelenburgh. Finally, Spanish paintings highlight some famous painters such as Luis Morales and enigmatic Lombardy. 

  • Ancient Archeology: 

During their visit, archeology lovers liked the pieces and remains of the Egyptian collection. The anthropoid sarcophagus is the collection's focal point. It is most likely from Thebes and dates from the 23rd dynasty, between the 9th and 8th century BC. An alabaster canopic jar, an ex-voto from Ya, an Ammon medallion, and a Harsiési stone offering table are also present. 

  • Art Objects: 

Furniture, tapestries, and silverware are also part of the Calvet Museum's collections in Avignon. Among the masterpieces are a woolen and silk Flanders tapestry from the early 16th century, embellished with silver and gold threads, and a cabinet with paintings by Frans II Francken depicting the story of the prophet Daniel.

  • imageDuration Required
    2 hours

Address of Musee Calvet

65 rue Joseph Vernet, 84000, Avignon, France

Opening & Closing time of Musee Calvet

  • Monday
    10:00-13:00
    14:00-18:00
  • Tuesday
    Closed
  • Wednesday
    10:00-13:00
    14:00-18:00
  • Thursday
    10:00-13:00
    14:00-18:00
  • Friday
    10:00-13:00
    14:00-18:00
  • Saturday
    10:00-13:00
    14:00-18:00
  • Sunday
    10:00-13:00
    14:00-18:00

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