A contemporary "temple" facing the ancient Temple, Carré d'Art Jean Bousquet was designed by the famous architect Lord Norman Foster. It houses libraries, a media library, a museum and a documentation centre, like the Pompidou Centre.
With nearly 500 works, the collection forms a panorama of contemporary art since the 1960s.
The permanent collection on the first level groups the artistic movements that started in the South of France or Europe. Its constitution was based on the representation of movements, such as le Nouveau Réalisme, Supports - Surfaces and la Figuration Libre.
When Jean-François Séguier, a Nîmes scholar, returned to live in Nîmes in 1770 after a long and productive trip in Europe, he never imagined that one of France’s richest museums would be born from his collections.
Inaugurated in 1895, the Muséum de Nîmes is the biggest in the Languedoc region and ranked 6th nationally for its rich collections.
Laid out in a cloister and listed chapel dating back to the 17th century, the collection covers the natural sciences and certain social science fields. A complete renovation is planned, but in the meantime only three themes are exhibited: prehistory, ethnography as conceived in the 1930s and zoology.
The gallery and temporary exhibition spaces of the museum explain topical scientific questions using the museum’s rich collection.
The Muséum de Nîmes now includes the natural history museum and the planetarium. Thanks to temporary exhibitions and many scientific workshops, the Nîmes museum is a major site for scientific culture in the region.
Settle back in a comfortable seat and watch a fascinating show of the universe at Nîmes planetarium. Projected with an orrery, a special instrument which moves the moon, planets and stars around in a vault over a 65-seat theatre, you embark on a dreamy distant voyage. Other fixed and moving images - often spectacular - show the immense diversity of the celestial bodies. An amazing voyage through space and time. A relaxing, poetic and educational experience.
An innovative museum, Mediterranean garden and meeting place.
The Musée de la Romanité is one of France’s major contemporary architectural projects. Jean-Paul Fournier, Mayor of Nîmes, initiated this project after extremely rare mosaics were discovered during digs in Allées Jaurès. This museum is their showcase which they share with 5,000 works out of the 25,000 pieces that make up the archaeological museum’s collection. Signed by Elizabeth de Portzamparc, it was designed around a demanding scientific and cultural project with the mission to explain the city’s rich classical heritage, but also to inspire people to discover and understand it and pass it down.
Wrapped in an undulating facade of translucent glass echoing mosaic, this major new archaeological museum, measuring 9,200m2 and facing the arena, invites visitors to a unique experience. Travel back in time through the history of Nîmes - from the 7th century BC to the Middle Ages - with a highly innovative and intriguing presentation including augmented reality and monumental audio-visual technology.
At the entrance, admire a spectacular vestige of the propylaea pediment, completely reconstituted and restored, hanging 15 metres above the ground. It is the symbol of the entrance to the sanctuary of the source, the city’s birthplace. It is the entrance to the museum, archaeological garden, restaurant and planted terrace from where you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view over Nîmes and its beautiful Roman gems.
The second-largest collection in Languedoc-Roussillon, with works by French, Flemish, Dutch and Italian painters.
The 3,600 works held by the museum include a collection of sixteenth and seventeenth century Italian art and a fine collection of nineteenth century French works.
The central part of the ground floor atrium is filled by a large Roman mosaic depicting "The Wedding of Admetes". This was discovered at the site of the central covered market in the nineteenth century.
Two monumental statues by Henri Bouchard flank the steps leading to this superb museum built in 1907 and then refitted and improved by the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte in 1987.
NOTE: The fine arts museum is closed until 11 July 2018 included.
Opened in may 2002, this shows visitors the traditions of bullfighting that are firmly anchored in Nîmes.
A stone's throw from the Roman arena, the bull museum is unique in France. Works of art and everyday objects illustrate both regional and international bullfighting traditions. Until the final opening in 2006, it will be used for temporary exhibitions punctuated by the ferias of Nîmes.
