Bastion Museum, Art museum and fortified castle in Menton, France
The Bastion Museum exhibits an extensive collection of Jean Cocteau's works, including drawings, paintings, lithographs, tapestries, and ceramics from his Mediterranean period.
Prince Honoré II of Monaco commissioned this coastal fort in the 17th century, completing its construction in 1636 with a guardroom, kitchen, and gunpowder storage.
The museum displays 102 pieces selected by Jean Cocteau himself, featuring the Innamorati series, Sphinxes collection, and the Judith and Holofernes tapestry.
Located at the harbor wall, the museum opens from 10:00 to 18:00 daily except Tuesdays and holidays, with admission fees of 8 euros and free entry for students.
Jean Cocteau personally transformed this former fort into an art space, decorating its alcoves and exterior walls with intricate pebble mosaics before its 1966 opening.
Location: Menton
Inception: 1966
Accessibility: Wheelchair inaccessible
Address: quai Napoléon III, bastion du Vieux Port 06500 Menton
Phone: +33493577230
Website: https://menton.fr/Musee-du-Bastion.html
GPS coordinates: 43.77480,7.50850
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:47
Menton occupies a notable position on the French Riviera, a few kilometers from the Italian border, where the Maritime Alps descend into the Mediterranean Sea. This unique geographical location has shaped a town with a dual character, where French and Italian architectural influences blend naturally. Visitors can explore botanical gardens like Val Rahmeh and Serre de la Madone, religious sites such as the Basilica of Saint Michael Archangel and the Chapel of the White Penitents, as well as museums dedicated to art and local history. The waterfront is organized around the Menton Garavan Port, beaches, and the Promenade du Soleil which runs along the coast. Cultural heritage can be found particularly at the Jean Cocteau Museum Collection Séverin Wunderman, housed in a modern building by the water, and at the Palais Carnolès, a former summer residence of Monaco’s princes transformed into an art museum. The Halles Market offers regional products and local specialties each morning, while the Old Castle Cemetery perched on the heights provides an expansive view of the bay and reflects the city’s history through its 19th-century funerary monuments.
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Musée de préhistoire Stanislas Bonfils
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