Founded in the city centre in 1801, in an old Benedictine abbey that is a listed Historic Monument better-known as the "Palace of St. Peter" ("Palais Saint-Pierre"), the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon is one of Europe's most important museums.
Its collections cover a very long time period, ranging from ancient Egypt to modern art. In 70 rooms spread over three floors, visitors can discover countless masterpieces: three millennia of history in the Mediterranean Basin, from ancient Egypt to ancient Rome, in the "Antiquities" department; Byzantine ivories, painted Limoges enamel ware, Far Eastern ceramics and Renaissance earthenware in the art objects department; a medal room with 50,000 pieces; a graphic arts room; the main European pictorial art movements, from the Primitives to modern art, in the "Paintings" department; a remarkable collection of sculptures, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century and more…
The museum has also added a novel twist by displaying 30 masterpieces of painting in gigapixels, from Courbet to Monet and Fragonard, through David and Poussin.
A very rich programme of activities and cultural events enables all audiences to discover the Art world in a personal way: themed discovery tours, including tours of the garden - a small miracle of peace and harmony - and the museum chapel, activities within the exhibitions, courses during the holidays, special tours for children with sketchbooks and pencils, and also discovery tours for families to learn all about art in a fun way…
