Museums

The Jean Cocteau Museum in Menton is one of the newest (2011) and most architecturally stunning museums on the Cote d’Azur, the unusual design being inspired by Jean Cocteau’s life and iconic work.

Monumental jewel envisioned by the Prince who pictured a veritable "Palace", the Oceanographic Museum is one of the masterpieces of the country's identity. Indeed, the Museum takes an important part in the influence of the Principality in its scientific, economic and touristic facets. Its architecture is inspired on all accounts by the marine world: the ornamentation on the walls or within follows the theme of the sea and its living organisms. 

The Renoir Museum stands in the heart of a magnificent estate with centuries-old olive trees and a superb panorama all the way to Cap d'Antibes. The view on Haut-de-Cagnes is exceptional. With its collections, 14 original paintings, sculptures, furniture and studio... it offers moving testimony to the Impressionist Master's family and creative universe. 

The Matisse Museum is situated on the hill of Cimiez, not far from the Franciscan monastery with its Italianate gardens, the Hotel Regina where Matisse used to reside, and the Gallo-Roman ruins. Since the 5th of January 1963 the Museum has been welcoming vistors to its collection of works left by the artist (and his heirs) to the city of Nice where he lived from 1918 until 1954.

The Musee Marc Chagall was created with the cooperation of the artist himself, who not only curated the exhibit, but installed the immense mosaic, designed the stained glass for the concert hall, specified the layout of the gardens, and chose the exact placement of each of his works in the museum. It is the largest public collection of his work.

Housed in the centuries-old former Château Grimaldi, built on the site of the ancient Greek city of Antipolis, the museum has the old village of Antibes at its front door, and the Mediterranean at its back. It exhibits an impressive collection of Picasso’s paintings, drawings, and ceramics, as well as works of other modern and contemporary artists.

The Marguerite and Aimé Maeght Foundation is a private foundation located near the village of Saint-Paul de Vence, 25 km from Nice entirely conceived and financed by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght to present modern and contemporary art in all its forms. Open all year, the Maeght Foundation welcomes 200,000 visitors a year in a unique, architectural complex designed to present modern and contemporary art in all its forms.