The Gassendi Museum is located in the heart of the town of Digne-les-Bains. Housed in a 17th-century building, the art and science collection reflète the region's natural and heritage riches. In the mountains, the contemporary art collection can be discovered by walking through the Unesco Geopark of Haute-Provence, where artists create works in nature. The artists work to generate new ways of looking at the collections.
Ambulo, the Digne-les-Bains art and museum centre - a contemporary art centre of national interest, brings together the Musée Gassendi, the Maison Alexandra David-Neel and the Cairn Foyer d'art contemporain.
The Gassendi Museum is located in the heart of the town of Digne-les-Bains. Housed in a 17th-century building, the art and science collection reflète the region's natural and heritage riches. In the mountains, the contemporary art collection can be discovered by walking through the Unesco Geopark of Haute-Provence, where artists create works in nature. The artists work to generate new ways of looking at the collections.
Ambulo, the Digne-les-Bains art and museum centre - a contemporary art centre of national interest, brings together the Musée Gassendi, the Maison Alexandra David-Neel and the Cairn Foyer d'art contemporain.
To pay tribute to Vincent Boeuf and his parents (his father was from Digne-les Bains), his universal legatee, Jack Chanon, has chosen the Musée Gassendi to host 7 works by Pablo Picasso (1881, Malaga-1973, Mougins). The donation provides the museum with a collection of works by this major 20th century artist, and celebrates the 50th anniversary of his death. The diversity of techniques in this corpus - drawing, engraving, ceramics, books - offers a glimpse of the prolific research undertaken by the artist to reinvent his art and that of the 20th century.
A tribute to humanity's first companions, the "stone cabinet" brings together geology and contemporary art. In this new display of the collections, works by contemporary artists such as Gaëlle Foray, Nicolas Rubinstein and Georges Autard are echoed.
Musée Gassendi
64, bd Gassendi
04000 Digne-les-Bains
+33 (0)4 92 31 45 29
musee-gassendi.org
Open daily (except Tuesdays), 10am-6pm.
Locate other art venues in the vicinity on the map.
PLACES TO DISCOVER
• Jardin des Cordeliers : ecological and landscaped park in downtown.
• Dalle aux ammonites : a natural site with numerous fossilised ammonites dating from 200 million years.
• Plan d’eau des Ferréols : offering many fun activities.
• Unesco Géoparc de Haute-Provence : including parks, trails, gardens and contemporary artworks.
• Maison Alexandra David-Néel : a museum and interpretation centre devoted to the orientalist writer, in her former residence.
• CAIRN Centre d’Art
PLACES TO STAY
• Ce nid d’aigle : guest houses in the mountain.
• Hôtel Villa Gaïa : charming hotel in a family house.
PLACES TO EAT
• Nusa : vegetarian restaurant, tea and well-being room.
• Météora : greek restaurant.
• Le p’tit thaï : thai restaurant.
• Chez Tonton Pepino : pizzeria and bar.