Musée Cantini, Art museum in Marseille, France
Musée Cantini occupies the former Hôtel de Montgrand at 19 rue Grignan, a mansion built in 1694 for the Compagnie du Cap Nègre. Its symmetrical stone facade has a central door with a rounded fanlight above, reached by three shallow steps, and the inscription "MUSEE CANTINI". A triangular pediment tops the central section, from which a flagpole rises; the side wings have barred windows.
Built in 1694 for the Compagnie du Cap Nègre, which fished coral off Tunisia and traded wool, wax and leather, the house was sold in 1709 to Dominique de Montgrand. Jules Cantini, a sculptor and marble contractor, bought it in 1888 and left it to Marseille in 1916 on condition a decorative arts museum be created; it opened in 1936.
The collection displays works by artists such as Kandinsky, Miró, and Ernst representing different twentieth-century movements. Visitors can explore how modern art evolved through Fauvism, Cubism, and Surrealism in the galleries.
The museum is easily accessible by public transportation and located in central Marseille. Opening times are Tuesday through Sunday, with free entry on selected days for all visitors.
In 2009 the museum borrowed Edgar Degas's pastel on monotype Les Choristes from the Musée d'Orsay; it was stolen at the end of that year. The trail went cold until 2018, when customs officers found it in the luggage compartment of a bus outside Paris.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,780 contributors worldwide.
