Musée Hyacinthe-Rigaud

The Musée Hyacinthe-Rigaud is an art museum housed in two historic mansions that displays works ranging from Gothic painting to contemporary art. The collection spreads across both buildings through multiple exhibition rooms devoted to different periods and artistic movements.

The institution was founded in 1820 by prefect Emmanuel-Ferdinand de Villeneuve-Bargemon with around 30 paintings loaned from collectors in the area. In 2017, two noble residences called the Lazerme and Mailly mansions were combined to create a larger exhibition space.

The collection highlights artists connected to the region, including the painter Hyacinthe Rigaud and sculptor Aristide Maillol. Visitors can observe how local artistic traditions took shape and evolved across different periods.

Both buildings are walkable from the city center and the rooms are laid out clearly, making it easy to move between the collections without getting lost. Plan to spend about 1.5 to 2 hours to explore all the galleries at a comfortable pace.

The two mansions kept their original facades and separate entrances even after being joined, giving the museum a split personality when you walk through it. This creates an interesting exploration where visitors constantly switch between two distinct architectural and spatial experiences.

Location: Perpignan

Inception: 1833

Official opening: 1833

Operator: Mairie de Perpignan

Address: 21 Rue Mailly, 66000 Perpignan

Phone: +33468661983

Website: http://musee-rigaud.fr

GPS coordinates: 42.69799,2.89298

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:23