Villa Carmignac

About the museum

Villa Carmignac opened its doors on June 2, 2018 on the island of Porquerolles. It belongs to the Fondation Carmignac, founded in 2000 by Édouard Carmignac, which manages a contemporary art collection of more than 300 works. The villa makes it possible to show this collection and to organise exhibitions and cultural activities.

The site was originally a farm, visible in Jean-Luc Godard’s film “Pierrot le fou”. In the 1980s, the architect Henri Vidal converted it into a villa. Édouard Carmignac discovered the estate at that time and imagined creating a place dedicated to art there. The Atelier Barani designed the project, and the agency GMAA then adapted it.

As the site is listed and lies within a national park, no additional construction was possible. The 2,000 m² of exhibition space were therefore dug out beneath the ground, without altering the volume of the house or the landscape. The spaces form a cross around a water ceiling that lets in natural light. The landscape designer Louis Benech created a garden that respects the local vegetation, in which sculptures created for the site have been installed.

Highlights

• Semi-sunken exhibition spaces lit by a water ceiling
• Sculpture garden of some fifteen artists, designed with the landscape architect Louis Benech
• Monumental sculpture “Alycastre” by Miquel Barceló, which guards the villa
• 15-hectare site in the Port-Cros National Park, reachable by boat from the Tour Fondue
• Annual exhibition, barefoot visit inside the villa

Permanent exhibition

• Jardin de sculptures – Around fifteen works by international artists, created for the site, are installed in the garden among the local vegetation.

Founded

2018

Operated by

Fondation Carmignac

Director

Charles Carmignac

Admission & discounts

Self-guided visit rates in 2026: full €16, reduced €11, young visitor €6. Free admission under certain conditions (according to the tourist office: under 12, press card, ICOM card, residents of Porquerolles by registration). Online booking is recommended; according to the tourist office, a quota of tickets is also offered each hour to visitors without a reservation.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The whole building is wheelchair-accessible thanks to a lift. Two wheelchairs are lent subject to availability (one for indoors, one for the gardens), and chaises-cannes (walking sticks with a seat) are available. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome. In 2026, two exhibition tours in French Sign Language take place (May 30 and October 10), with free guiding.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

Family guided tour on the first Saturday of every month at 11:00, and family yoga sessions on some Thursdays (October 22 and 29, 2026, from age 7). Pushchairs are not admitted into the building: they stay at the entrance, and a baby carrier is recommended; they can be used again for the gardens.

Getting there & parking

The island is reached by boat. Other ports serve Porquerolles; in summer, the museum advises avoiding the Tour Fondue between 9:00 and 12:00 and between 17:00 and 19:00, and checking the list of ports on the Hyères tourist office website. A water taxi is also available. A walk of about 15 minutes between the port of Porquerolles and the villa.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Lockers

Bookshop, restaurant and drinks counter on site. Lockers at the entrance for large bags. Bicycle parking.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The villa offers tailor-made solutions for events in its various spaces. Contact: privatisation@villacarmignac.com.

Plan your visit