Musée des Santons
Small free museum in Les Baux-de-Provence devoted to santons and nativity scenes, housed in the village’s former town hall.
No sound? Check your device’s silent switch.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Musée des Santons occupies a building in Les Baux-de-Provence, built on former ramparts and bought by the village community in 1619. It served successively as a guardhouse, a school, a court and finally a town hall, from the mid-17th century until 1960. The building, partly rebuilt in 1657, has two 16th-century dungeons in its basement. It has been listed in the inventory of historic monuments since 1914.
The museum was founded in the 1980s after the former mayor Raymond Thuillier donated four Neapolitan figurines. It reopened in 2010 with a new museum layout. According to the tourist office, it holds the “Musée de France” label and displays 115 dressed santons, 83 painted santons and 24 Neapolitan figurines.
The collections include Neapolitan figurines from the 17th and 18th centuries, church santons from the 19th century from the Carmelite convent in Avignon, and works by renowned Provençal santonniers such as Carbonel, Fouque, Jouve and Thérèse Neveu. The pastrage, the ceremony of offering a lamb to the shepherds, is staged in front of the village church. Two large display cases show a Provençal nativity scene and the life of a family in the 19th century. A large painting by Antoine Serra, showing the midnight mass of 1947 in the church of Saint-Vincent, completes the route.
Highlights
- Neapolitan figurines from the 17th and 18th centuries
- Church santons from the Carmelite convent in Avignon
- Works by Provençal santonniers (Carbonel, Fouque, Jouve …)
- Staging of the pastrage in front of the church in Les Baux
- Large painting by Antoine Serra of the midnight mass
Permanent exhibition
- Collection de santons et crèches – Neapolitan figurines, church santons and Provençal santons, with a Provençal nativity scene and the staging of the pastrage.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A braille document is available for visitors with visual impairments (listed in the tourist office press kit, 2023 edition).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
Small, naive santons in bright colours are displayed at children’s eye level.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Line 707 (Avignon – Saint-Rémy – Les Baux – Arles, Zou! network) serves Les Baux-de-Provence. Nearest stations: Arles (20 km), Avignon-TGV and Nîmes-Pont-du-Gard (30 km).
By car
Paid parking
Pay-and-display parking in the village; payment is also possible with the PrestoPark and Paybyphone apps. Car parks at Col de la Vayède and Carrières.
From Arles: about 20 km (30 minutes) by road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The display cases are lit and the route is clear and educational. |
|---|
