Museum of Fine Arts

The beautiful building before you is the Museum of Fine Arts, created in 1836 by several art and architecture enthusiasts from Carcassonne. They set up an Arts and Sciences Commission to collect and preserve historical artworks, and then built a museum to exhibit them to the public. By 1845, they had collected 102 paintings ready for display. The museum opened its doors here at the end of the 19th century, housed in the former presidial court – the judicial court of the Kingdom of France back in the day. The museum was later expanded, and the current façade was completed in 1900. Over the years, its collection has grown even richer, thanks to loans from the French government and generous donations from locals. Today, the building boasts a total of 11 exhibition halls showcasing works from the 17th century all the way up to the present day. And to pep things up, it often host temporary exhibitions. So be sure to check out the current exhibition when you visit. Right across from the museum, stands a towering statue of a woman. It must have caught your eye. It’s the Helena statue, designed by Catalan artist Raymond Sudre in 1902. It is an allegorical representation of the town of Elne, located in the Pyrénées-Orientales region near Perpignan. It’s just one of the many works of this prolific sculptor, whose creations – statues, fountains, and war memorials – grace cities all over France.