Le Musée - Arts & Figures des Pyrénées Centrales

About the museum

The Saint-Gaudens museum was founded in 1962, at a time when the town was looking for new momentum after the closure of its motor-racing circuit in 1954 and the arrival of a paper-pulp factory in 1959. The first rooms opened on the ground floor of the town hall, on the initiative of mayor Armand de Bertrand Pibrac. The objects displayed were then mainly ethnographic; the collections later opened up to fine arts and regional ceramics.

The museum now occupies the former town hall, a neoclassical building dating from 1876 that faces the Pyrenean range. It tells the story of the area, the town, its resources and its personalities. It holds the “Musée de France” label.

The collections showcase the ceramics and porcelain of Saint-Gaudens/Valentine, known for their 19th-century “blue”, and the paintings of Saint-Gaudens-born artist André Rixens, runner-up for the Prix de Rome. One room looks at human presence in the Comminges, and temporary exhibitions are organized regularly.

Highlights

• Ceramics and porcelain of Saint-Gaudens/Valentine
• Paintings by Saint-Gaudens native André Rixens
• “Salle du Temps” on human presence in the Comminges
• Neoclassical building from 1876, former town hall
• Free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Céramiques de Saint-Gaudens/Valentine – Porcelain and faience made in Saint-Gaudens in the 19th century, known for their colorful decoration and characteristic “blue”.
• André Rixens, peintre saint-gaudinois – Paintings by André Rixens, who trained in Toulouse and Paris and worked as a history painter and portraitist.
• Le territoire, ses ressources, ses richesses – Route on the use of the resources of the Garonne and the forests (cloth, ceramics, textiles, paper), and the “Salle du Temps” on human presence in the Comminges.

Founded

1962

Operated by

Ville de Saint-Gaudens

Visitors per year

approx. 8,167

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Museum admission is free; activities cost €2.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Specific mediation activities for the youngest, with family or school. Activities cost €2.

Getting there & parking

The station is about a 7-minute walk away (629 m). By car: A64 motorway, exit 18, then D 817.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Reception shop with products derived from the collections, book corner, selection for children and ceramic objects.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit