The museum building was originally a royal abbey founded in the 7th century, with the current structure rebuilt between 1659 and 1685.
The interior courtyard, once the abbey cloister, now functions as a public sculpture garden featuring works by Auguste Rodin and Antoine Bourdelle.
The collection includes a notable group of paintings by Nicolas Poussin and Veronese, alongside major 19th-century works by Delacroix and Ingres.
It houses an extensive cabinet of medals and coins, one of the most significant numismatic collections in France.
The museum suffered minimal damage during the French Revolution, allowing many ecclesiastical objects to be preserved within the building.
The former refectory of the abbey serves as a dedicated hall for Romanesque and Gothic stone sculptures.
The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon is housed in a 17th-century Benedictine abbey, the Abbaye des Dames de Saint-Pierre, surrounding a central garden courtyard. It holds one of the largest collections of fine art in France, featuring works ranging from ancient Egyptian antiquities to contemporary art. The permanent collection is organized into five main departments: Antiquities, Medals and Coins, Objects of Art, Paintings, and Sculptures. Significant holdings include a vast array of Egyptian artifacts, notably a large collection of sarcophagi and funerary objects. European painting galleries span from the 14th century to the 20th century, highlighting schools from Italy, Flanders, and France. The museum's sculpture gallery occupies the former abbey refectory, retaining original architectural elements. It regularly hosts major temporary exhibitions focused on international art history and specific movements. The building complex encompasses a cloister that serves as a sculpture garden. It remains a key cultural institution within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
The central garden courtyard, especially looking toward the cloister arches with the sculpture displays.
Prioritize the Antiquities department on the ground floor if you have limited time.
The central garden is a quiet, free-access space that does not require a museum ticket to enter.
Check the official website for temporary exhibition schedules before visiting, as these often occupy the gallery spaces on the first floor.
Do not attempt to see every gallery in a single visit, as the museum is vast and often leads to fatigue.
Closed on Tuesdays and major public holidays.
Photography without flash is permitted for personal use; bulky bags are prohibited in the galleries.
