Pablo Picasso lived for the last 12 years of his life in the village of Mougins, South France and this is where he died in 1973 at the age of 91. Picasso was buried close to Aix-en-Provence. Picasso had first visited Mougins in 1953 and his time in the village coincided with some important works from his 'later period'.
It is estimated that the combined value of Vincent van Gogh's art work from his 2 year period in the South of France, is well over $1.5bn. Van Gogh produced over 350 paintings during his 27 month stay in the South of France. Van Gogh is linked to two main places in the South of France: Arles and Saint Remy de Provence.
Outside of Paris, the best art museums in France are located on the Southern French coast. The South of France has been home to a wide range of famous artists throughout history - from Picasso to Van Gogh and Cézanne to Renoir. Towns such as Mougins, Arles, Collioure and Ceret all boast an impressive art heritage. Here we highlight the 10 best art museums to visit in the South of France.
The Marc Chagall Museum in Nice, France, was set up under the terms of the artists will. Marc Chagall lived in St Paul de Vence near Nice, France, for a large part of his later life and he bequeathed to the city 17 separate works which make up his 'Biblical Message'.
It is quite extraordinary that the village the size of Mougins in South France has a world class Art museum to rival any National collection. But there again, there are not many villages that happen to have a multi-millionaire art collector like Christian Levett living nearby. The Mougins Classic Art Museum (MACM), was established in 2008 and is essentially a private collection open to the public.
If you are visiting Nice this summer, then one place worth checking out is the National Sports Museum. Even if you are not a regular museum visitor, you cannot be bored with this museum in Nice. The museum of sport in Nice features some amazing sporting artefacts and memorabilia.
During the month of June, the town of Menton on the French Riviera, throws open its doors to its public and private gardens. Due to its unique micro-climate, Menton, South France, has always prided itself on the quality of its gardens and horticulture.
Nimes' modern art museum, the Carre d'Art, was built in 1993 by English architect Norman Foster. The museum quickly established itself as one of the best museums of contemporary art in South France. Musee Carré d'Art hosts a number of visiting modern art exhibitions.
