Musée du Petit-Palais, Avignon
The Musée du Petit-Palais. Photo by Alessandro.
"The Holy Conversation" by Carpaccio. Public domain.
Enjoying a triptych in the Museum. Photo by Astrid Berglund.
Detail of a painting on wood. Photo by Astrid Berglund.
The Musée du Petit-Palais was originally the bishop's palace and it is where the first two Avignon popes lived before the Palais des Papes was constructed.
Today, the palace houses the Musée du Petit-Palais, an outstanding collection of 13th to 16th century Italian religious paintings, including works from Florence, Venice, Siena, and Lombardy. All are styles with which the Avignon popes would have been familiar.
Key works to seek out include Sandro Botticelli's Virgin and Child and Venetian paintings by Carpaccio and Giovanni Bellini.
Salons within the museum display 15th-century paintings done in Avignon, and several galleries are devoted to Roman and Gothic sculptures.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Musée du Petit-Palais |
| Type of site: | Bishop's palace; museum |
| Status: | Museum |
| Location: | Place du Palais, Avignon |
| Phone: | 04-90-86-44-58 |
| Hours: | June-Sept Wed-Mon 10am-1pm and 2-6pm; Oct-May Wed-Mon 9:30am-1pm and 2-5:30pm |
| Cost: | 6€ adults, 3€ students, free for children 12 and under |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Musée du Petit-Palais. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Avignon Map or get our free Google Earth download.
