Lyon Presqu'Ile, Palais Saint-Pierre

The former convent of the nuns of St. Peter became the Museum of Fine Arts in 1801. Inspired by Italian references, the building consists of four wings arranged around a cloister. In 1792, the abbey became a conservation centre of paintings, medals and other art objects. Throughout the nineteenth century, the building served several functions: art and archeology museum, School of Fine Arts, City Library, Stock Exchange, Chamber of Commerce, ... Today, Lyon’s Museum of Fine Arts of is one of the largest and finest in France and Europe and is open every day except Tuesdays and public holidays from 10am to 6pm. The cloister and its gardens were redesigned in 1884 to give them their present appearance, by the architects René Dardel and Abraham Hirsch. This islet of greenery, protected from urban noise by the secular walls, covers about 1,200 m2. The alleys of the garden are shaded by the large oak, birch trees and odorous lime trees.