Photo by dalbera. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
This sumptuous, Baroque-style palace, built in the 17th century by the Counts Lascaris-Vintimille, is dedicated to preserving the art and music of the 17th and 18th centuries. It also offers a rare chance to see how the one percent lived back when Nice was Italian.
Alongside its grand staircase and quadratura (trompe l’oeil) paintings, its interiors are just as lush as you’d expect, bedecked in decorative and fine arts from the 17th and 18th centuries, including frescoed walls, tapestries, sculptures, and gilded picture frames.
The real surprise, though, is the small but fascinating music museum, with a collection of 500 musical instruments. There’s also a 17th-century pharmacy on the ground floor.
Located close to the cathedral, the museum is a few minutes’ walk from Cathedrale-Vieille Ville station. Allow around 90 minutes for your visit.
The museum is open all year round, Wednesday to Monday. Closed Tuesdays.
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