Le Cyclop, Monumental sculpture and open-air museum in Milly-la-Forêt, France.
Le Cyclop is a massive metallic sculpture that rises 22.5 meters high from the forest floor, constructed from steel and concrete. Mirrors are built into its structure to reflect the surrounding woods and natural light.
Construction began in 1969 under Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, taking 25 years until the public opening in 1994. This extended building period allowed multiple artist generations to contribute their work to the interior.
The interior space was created through the combined efforts of several artists including Daniel Spoerri, César, and Eva Aeppli, each contributing their own installations. This collective approach shows how different creative visions came together to form a single artistic statement.
The exterior remains freely accessible at any time, but entering the interior requires joining a guided tour with a small group. Plan your visit in advance since tours are limited to groups of around 25 people.
The interior features mechanical music, moving parts, and even a performance space that shifts and changes during visits. These working artistic elements create surprise moments that pure visual observers might not expect.
Location: Milly-la-Forêt
Inception: 2022
Creator: Jean Tinguely
Height: 22.5 m
Made from material: steel, concrete
Website: http://lecyclop.com
GPS coordinates: 48.41492,2.45685
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:02
France hosts monuments that go beyond common tourist routes. Individual creations like Ferdinand Cheval's Palais Idéal in Hauterives, built stone by stone over 33 years, sit alongside architectural reconversions like the Molitor Pool in Paris or the Contemporary Art Museum set in a 17th-century manor in Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d'Or. These sites reflect unique stories and urban transformations worth exploring. This selection includes themed museums dedicated to magic in Blois, mechanical instruments at La Borde, fairground arts in Paris, and firefighters in Montville. It also features total art works like the Maison Picassiette in Chartres, entirely decorated with ceramic mosaics, and the Robert Tatin Museum in Cossé-le-Vivien. From Montmartre cemetery where Degas and Zola are buried to works by self-taught artists, these monuments offer different perspectives on French heritage and deserve a visit to explore lesser-known facets of the territory.
Île-de-France offers numerous historic sites beyond Paris, including medieval fortresses, artist residences, botanical gardens and art museums. The Château de Blandy-les-Tours preserves 13th-century military architecture, while the Albert Kahn Museum & Gardens contains a collection of historic photographs and themed gardens representing different continents. The Château d'Écouen houses the Musée National de la Renaissance, featuring significant holdings of 16th-century furniture, tapestries and ceramics. The Domaine de Sceaux encompasses a park designed by André Le Nôtre with formal parterres and a 19th-century château. The Roseraie du Val-de-Marne displays more than 3,000 rose varieties across a 3.7-acre (1.5-hectare) garden. The region preserves literary sites including the Maison Littéraire de Victor Hugo in Bièvres, where the writer spent his final years, and the Maison Fournaise in Chatou, which served as a subject in Renoir's paintings. The Musée de la Toile de Jouy documents the history of regional textile production. Architectural features range from the medieval Donjon de Houdan to the Château de Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas' neo-Gothic residence. Fort de Sucy represents late 19th-century military architecture, while Le Cyclop stands as a monumental metal sculpture by Jean Tinguely. These locations demonstrate the historical and cultural development of the region from medieval times through the modern era.
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