The Palais des Arts in Lyon, France is a fine institution that is situated near the Place des Terreaux in the heart of the city between the Rhone and Saone Rivers. The Lyon Fine Arts Museum is housed within a stunningly beautiful building that served as a Benedictine convent in the seventeenth century. Its permanent collection is one of the vastest in all of France and includes everything from ancient Egyptian items to an array of modern art. Besides the amazing permanent collection at the Musee des Beaux-Arts, there are consistently quality temporary exhibits.

In the section of the Palais des Arts that contains all of the paintings, you will find works that range from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries. They are interspersed throughout 35 rooms. Just some of the rooms include ancient French painting, nineteenth-century French painting, Italian paintings, ancient Spanish paintings, and the best of twentieth century paintings. Just some of the internationally recognized names you will see on display at the Lyon Fine Arts Museum include Delacroix, Degas, Cezanne, Renoir, Tintoretto, Ernst, Francis Bacon, and many more.

For any art enthusiasts, this is one of the top museums and attractions of the city of Lyon. The permanent collection rivals that of any other institution in the region including D’Orsay and the Louvre in Paris. If you have a chance to visit the Musee des Beaux-Arts you will not be disappointed with what is one of the most impressive fine arts museums in Europe. Other top museums include Gadagne Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum.

Lyon Map