The Musée du Petit Palais is a museum and art gallery in

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

, southern France. It opened in 1976 and has an exceptional collection of "primitives" and early

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

paintings from Italy, which reunites those of the collection of Giampietro Campana deposed by the

Musée du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

as well as paintings of the Avignon school deposed by the Musée Calvet. It is housed in a 14th-century building at the north side of the square overlooked by the

Palais des Papes The ( English: Palace of the Popes; ''lo Palais dei Papas'' in Occitan) in Avignon, Southern France, is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Once a fortress and palace, the papal residence was a seat of We ...

. The building, built in the early 14th century as the residence of the bishops of Avignon, was made a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

as part of the historic center of Avignon in 1995.

Building

Named Petit Palais to distinguish it from the

, the original structure was built during the period of the

Avignon Papacy The Avignon Papacy (; ) was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (at the time within the Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire, now part of France) rather than in Rome (now the capital of ...

by Cardinal Berengar Fredol the Elder around 1318–20. The palace and a few neighbouring buildings were bought on de Frédol's death in 1323 by Cardinal Arnaud de Via, nephew of the reigning

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Papacy, Avignon Pope, elected by ...

. When de Via died in 1335,

Pope Benedict XII Pope Benedict XII (, , ; 1285 – 25 April 1342), born Jacques Fournier, was a cardinal and inquisitor, and later, head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1334 to his death, in April 1342. He was the third Avignon pope and reformed monasti ...

bought the building for use as the episcopal palace. The subsequent building work created an interior close to that of the present configuration with four wings around a

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

and a service court. The building suffered during its use from 1396 as a fortified citadel during the

Western Schism The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Great Occidental Schism, the Schism of 1378, or the Great Schism (), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 20 September 1378 to 11 November 1417, in which bishops residing ...

, and was a wreck by the time the war ended in 1411. In the second half of the 15th century, Bishop Alain de Coëtivy and his successor, Giuliano della Rovere (the future

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II (; ; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...

) carried out restoration work, giving the Palace more or less its present appearance by 1503. Della Rovere arrived in Avignon in 1474, having been made bishop of Avignon and

papal legate 300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the Pope's legate. A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title '' legatus'') is a personal representative of the Pope to foreign nations, to some other part of the Catho ...

of Avignon by his uncle

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...

. He added new south and west facades in Italian Renaissance style (with oculi, a west-facing door surmounted with a triangular pediment, window drip-moldings and his insignia facing south) and, in 1487, a tower (which collapsed in 1767). The Palace became known as the Palace of the Archbishop when the city was promoted to an archbishopric soon after della Rovere took office. During the French Revolution, the palace was nationalised and sold off, becoming a Catholic secondary school in 1826 and then in 1904, with the separation of the church and the state, a professional and technical school. The building was listed as a historic monument in 1910. The restoration work, began in 1961, was supervised by Jean Sonnier, the chief architect of the

Monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...

, the national heritage organization in France. The building opened as a museum in 1976.

Collection

*390 works by Italian (327 by 130 artists) and French primitive or early-Renaissance painters such as

Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...

('' Madonna with Child, c. 1467) or

Vittore Carpaccio Vittore Carpaccio ( , , ; – ) was an Italian painter of the Venetian School (art), Venetian school who studied under Gentile Bellini. Carpaccio was largely influenced by the style of the early Italian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina ...

. *600 sculptures including the effigy head from the tomb of

Antipope Clement VII Robert of Geneva (; 1342 – 16 September 1394) was elected to the papacy as Clement VII () by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI and was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election led to the Western Schism. The son of ...

; the rest of the tomb was destroyed during the French Revolution.

Paintings

13th and 14th centuries

Simone Martini Simone Martini ( – July 1344) was an Italian painter born in Siena. He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style. It is thought that Martini was a p ...

Paolo Veneziano Paolo Veneziano, also Veneziano Paolo or Paolo da Venezia (active by 1333, died after 1358) was a 14th-century painter from Venice, the "founder of the Venetian school (art), Venetian School" of painting, probably active between about 1321 and 13 ...

, Lippo Memmi, Taddeo Gaddi, Agnolo Gaddi (The Calvary),

Ambrogio Lorenzetti Ambrogio Lorenzetti (; – after 9 August 1348) was an Italian painter of the Sienese school. He was active from approximately 1317 to 1348. He painted ''The Allegory of Good and Bad Government'' in the Sala dei Nove (Salon of Nine or Council Ro ...

, Bartolo di Fredi, Giovanni Baronzio, Lorenzo di Bicci, Master of 1310, Jacopo del Casentino, Mariotto di Nardo, Jacopo di Cione, Puccio di Simone, Paolo di Giovanni Fei, Turino Vanni,

Barnaba da Modena Barnaba da Modena (c. 1328-c.1386) was a mid-14th-century Italy, Italian painter who painted in the style of Byzantine art.Raimond Van Marle, ''The Development of the Italian Schools of Painting'', Springer Science & Business Media, 2012, p. 382-3 ...

(workshop), Simone dei Crocifissi, Angelo Puccinelli, Girolamo Marchesi, Niccolo di Pietro Gerini,

Niccolò di Tommaso Niccolò di Tommaso (active 1346–1376) was an Italian painter active in Florence, Naples and Pistoia. He is documented as joining the Arte dei Medici e Speziali around 1346. He shows the influence of Maso di Banco, but worked with Nardo di Cion ...

, Francescuccio Ghissi.

15th and 16th centuries

(Madonna with Child),

(Sacred conversation), Lorenzo Monaco, Carlo Crivelli, Vittorio Crivelli,

Sano di Pietro Sano may refer to: Geography * Sano, Kentucky, U.S. * Sano, Tochigi, Japan * Monte Sano Mountain, a mountain in Alabama, United States ** Monte Sano State Park * Wai Sano, a volcano in Flores, Indonesia Fiction * Sano (''Rurouni Kenshin''), a ch ...

Matteo di Giovanni Matteo di Giovanni (c. 1430 – 1495) was an Italian Renaissance artist from the Sienese School. Biography Matteo di Giovanni di Bartolo was born in Borgo Sansepolcro around 1430. His family relocated to Siena and he is firmly associated with ...

, Benvenuto di Giovanni, Taddeo di Bartolo, Andrea di Bartolo,

Benozzo Gozzoli Benozzo Gozzoli (; born Benozzo di Lese; 4 October 1497) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. A pupil of Fra Angelico, Gozzoli is best known for a series of murals in the Magi Chapel of the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, depicting festi ...

Lorenzo di Credi Lorenzo di Credi (1456/59 – January 12, 1537) was an Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor best known for his paintings of religious subjects, and portraits. With some excursions to nearby cities, his whole life was spent in Florence. ...

(workshop), Antonio Vivarini, Bartolomeo Vivarini, Liberale da Verona,

Pesellino Francesco Pesellino (probably 1422 – July 29, 1457), also known as Francesco di Stefano, was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence. His father was the painter Stefano di Francesco (died 1427), and his maternal grandfather was the p ...

, Jacopo del Sellaio,

Neri di Bicci Neri di Bicci (1419–1491) was an Italian painter active in his native Florence. A prolific painter of mainly religious themes, he studied under his father, Bicci di Lorenzo, who had in turn studied under his father, Lorenzo di Bicci. The three ...

Cima da Conegliano Giovanni Battista Cima, also called Cima da Conegliano (), was an Italian Renaissance painter, who mostly worked in Venice. He can be considered part of the Venetian school (art), Venetian school, though he was also influenced by Antonello da ...

, Vecchietta, Giovanni di Paolo, Jacopo di Paolo,

Cosimo Rosselli Cosimo Rosselli (; 1439–1507) was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento, active mainly in his birthplace of Florence, but also in Pisa earlier in his career and in 1481–82 in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where he painted some of the large ...

, Ludovico Mazzolino, Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio,

Giovanni da Udine 150px, Portrait in Vasari's Vite Giovanni Nanni, also Giovanni de' Ricamatori, better known as Giovanni da Udine (1487–1564), was an Italian painter and architect born in Udine. A painter also named ''Giovanni da Udine'' was exiled from his na ...

, Biagio di Antonio Tucci, Benvenuto di Giovanni, Bartolomeo Veneto, Ambrogio Bergognone,

Francesco Botticini Francesco Botticini (real name Francesco di Giovanni, 1446 – 16 January 1498) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He was born in Florence, where he remained active until his death in 1498. Although there are only few documented wor ...

, Antoniazzo Romano,

Bonifacio Bembo image:Francesco Sforza.jpg, ''Portrait of Francesco Sforza''. ca. 1460. Tempera on panel, 40 x 31 cm. Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan. Bonifacio Bembo, also called Bonfazio Bembo, or simply just Bembo, was a north Italian Renaissance artist born ...

Marco Palmezzano Marco Palmezzano (1460–1539) was an Italian painter and architect, belonging to the Forlì painting school, who painted in a style recalling earlier Northern Renaissance models. He was mostly active near Forlì. Biography Palmezzano was ...

Bernardino Fungai Bernardino Fungai (1460– c. 1516) was an Italian painter whose work marks the transition from late Gothic painting to the early Renaissance in the Sienese school.

, Master of Tavarnelle, Louis Bréa or from the Avignon school Josse Lieferinxe and Enguerrand Quarton.

Sculptures

The collection features Romanesque sculpted capitals from the churches of Avignon notably from the cloister of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms (12th c.), pieces of funerary monuments of the papal period (14th c.) like those of

John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by the Conclave of ...

, Innocent VI,

Urban V Pope Urban V (; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death, in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the only Avignon pope ...

or the cardinals Philippe de Cabassole and Jean de La Grange (1388-–89), as well as sculptures of the school of Avignon (15th c.) with Antoine Le Moiturier or Jean de la Huerta. File:ChristBerlinghieri.jpg, Head of a Crucifix or Christ Berlinghieri. File:Simone Martini Vierge et l'Enfant vers 1320. tempera sur bois.jpg,

, Madonna with Child (c. 1320). File:Paolo Veneziano-Avignonie.jpg,

, Madonna with Child. File:Taddeo Gaddi-Vierge à l'enfant.jpg, Taddeo Gaddi, Madonna with Child. File:Madonna. Petit Palais Avignon.jpg, Taddeo di Bartolo, Madonna with Child, (1400). File:Lorenzo Monaco - saint Laurent.jpg, Lorenzo Monaco, Saint Laurent between Saint Ansano and Saint Margaret. File:Sano di Pietro-L'ange de l'Annonciation.jpg,

, Angel of the Annunciation. File:Giovanni di Paolo-La nativité.jpg, Giovanni di Paolo, The Nativity between Saint Vittorino and Saint Ansano or Galgano. File:Neri di Bicci - La Vierge et l'enfant avec six saints.jpg,

, Madonna with Child and six saints. File:Vittorio Crivelli - Vierge et enfant.jpg, Vittorio Crivelli, Madonna with Child. File:BotticelliMadonnaConBambinoAvignone.jpg,

, Madonna with Child, (1467). File:Vittore Carpaccio 076.jpg,

, Sacred conversation, (c. 1500).

References

Sources

* *

External links

* * * * , search "Avignon", then choice of "Lieu de conservation". * {{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1320 Houses completed in the 14th century Houses completed in the 15th century Art museums and galleries in France Musee Du Petit Palais, Avignon Musee Du Petit Palais, Avignon Museums in Avignon Art museums and galleries established in 1976 Musee Du Petit Palais, Avignon Musee Du Petit Palais, Avignon