Musee des Beaux Arts de Lyon | Lyon

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is the largest French art museum outside of Paris. It is housed in the Palais Saint-Pierre, a former 17th-century Benedictine abbey, and occupies a central position on the Presqu'île.

Visual Characteristics

The museum is a massive Baroque structure surrounding a rectangular cloister. The interior features 70 galleries spanning 7,000 square meters. The central courtyard is a public garden containing lime and oak trees, a circular basin, and a collection of 19th-century bronze and marble sculptures. The Refectory and the Grand Staircase are decorated with elaborate Baroque stuccos and murals.

Location & Access Logistics

The site is located at 20 Place des Terreaux, 69001 Lyon. It is directly served by the Hôtel de Ville – Louis Pradel metro station (Lines A and D). Pedestrian access is via the Place des Terreaux. The nearest parking is the Parc Terreaux underground facility.

Hours: Wednesday–Monday, 10:00–18:00 (Friday from 10:30). Closed on Tuesdays and public holidays.

Admission: €8 for permanent collections; €12 for temporary exhibitions.

Historical & Ecological Origin

The building originated as the Royal Abbey of Saint-Pierre in the 17th century. Following the French Revolution, the abbey was decommissioned, and the museum was established in 1801 to house works seized from religious institutions and aristocrats. Major architectural renovations occurred between 1875 and 1900 to adapt the monastic cells into expansive exhibition galleries.

Key Highlights & Collections

The museum’s "encyclopedic" collection covers 5,000 years of history across five departments:

Antiquities: Features the Kore of Lyons (6th century BCE) and a significant Egyptian collection, including the gates of the Medamud temple.

Paintings: Works by masters such as Veronese, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, Monet, and Gauguin. Notable pieces include Monet's Rough Sea at Etretat and Gauguin's Nave Nave Mahana.

Sculptures: A premier collection of works by Auguste Rodin (donated by the artist himself) and Antoine Bourdelle.

Modern Art: 20th-century movements represented by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, and Bacon.

Infrastructure & Amenities

Garden Cafe-Restaurant: Located on the first floor, featuring a terrace overlooking the cloister and a monumental mural by Raoul Dufy.

Cloister Garden: A free-access "island of silence" in the city center, equipped with benches for public use.

Gift Shop/Bookstore: Located near the entrance, specializing in art history and regional publications.

Accessibility: The museum is equipped with elevators and ramps, making most galleries accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

Best Time to Visit

Lunchtime is the quietest period. For photography, the morning light in the cloister garden provides optimal contrast against the yellow stone arcades.

Facts & Legends

The museum is frequently called the "Little Louvre" due to its scale and the breadth of its departments. A local historical "treasure" was discovered in 1993 during the construction of the Terreaux parking lot: a pot containing 2,242 medieval coins and jewelry, now part of the museum's numismatics collection.

Nearby Landmarks

Place des Terreaux / Bartholdi Fountain – Directly adjacent (North)

Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) – Directly adjacent (East)

Opéra National de Lyon – 0.2km East

Fresque des Lyonnais – 0.4km Northwest

Musée de l'Imprimerie – 0.3km South