Musée du Petit Palais, Art museum in Avignon, France
The Musée du Petit Palais is an art museum housed in a former bishop's residence next to the Papal Palace, displaying works from late antiquity through the Renaissance. The building arranges paintings, sculptures, and other artworks in rooms organized around an inner cloister courtyard.
The palace was built in the early 1300s for a cardinal and later served as a military building during church conflicts. In the 1900s it was restored and converted into a museum to preserve the region's artistic collection.
The museum is named for its position as a smaller companion building to the Papal Palace, and its collections reflect the artistic tastes that developed during the papal years in Avignon. Visitors can see how Italian and French art traditions converged here and shaped local creative life during that era.
The rooms are easily accessible and the interior layout follows a logical cloister pattern that makes navigation straightforward. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes since exploring the different wings and galleries involves considerable walking.
The collection holds artworks from the late Roman period that are rarely seen in other museums. These ancient pieces reveal a lesser-explored chapter of the region's artistic heritage that existed before the papal era.
Location: Avignon
Inception: 1976
Official opening: 1976
Opening Hours: Monday 10:00-13:00,14:00-18:00; Wednesday-Sunday 10:00-13:00,14:00-18:00
Phone: +33490864458
Website: http://petit-palais.org
GPS coordinates: 43.95275,4.80634
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:41
Avignon in southeastern France contains many historical subjects for photographers. The Papal Palace displays medieval architecture, the Saint-Bénézet bridge spans the Rhône river. The Rocher des Doms provides views of the city skyline. Place du Palais features historical buildings, while Rue des Teinturiers contains water wheels from past centuries.
This tour covers historical churches, monasteries and gardens in Avignon. The route includes the Romanesque Saint-Ruf Chapel, Rocher des Doms overlooking the Rhône, the baroque Mint building, and Petit Palais Museum with its Italian Renaissance paintings collection. Visitors also discover Rue des Teinturiers with its water wheels and Collection Lambert for contemporary art.
Pont Saint-Bénézet
167 m
Avignon city wall
62 m
Avignon Cathedral
152 m
Historic Centre of Avignon
19 m
Cour d'honneur du palais des papes
233 m
Monuments d'Avignon
13 m
Jardin des doms
110 m
Saint Martial's Chapel, Palace of Popes
232 m
Saint-Bénézet chapel
149 m
Hôtel des Monnaies
218 m
Petit Palais in Avignon
24 m
Chapelle Saint-Nicolas du pont Saint-Bénézet
164 m
Hôtel Calvet de la Palun
267 m
Maisons et tour de Mirault
195 m
Escaliers Sainte-Anne
194 m
Place du Palais
195 m
Avignon - Rue de la Grande Fusterie 29
229 m
Hôtel Jean de Sudre (Avignon)
105 m
Immeubles, 28-30-32-34-36-38-40-42-44-46-48-50-52 rue de la Balance
186 m
Golden pipe organ
152 m
Jardin des Doms war memorial
126 m
Maison, 15 place du Palais
174 m
17 - 19 Place du Palais
173 m
Maison, 21 place du Palais
121 m
Maison, 8 rue Pente-Rapide-d'Avignon
123 m
Maisons, 5-7 place du Palais
259 m
Immeuble, 26 rue de la Balance
202 m
Immeuble, rue de la Balance
225 mReviews
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