# Musée Matisse, Nice > The Musée Matisse is one of the world's largest museums of Henri Matisse, on Cimiez hill in the north of Nice. It fills a red 17th-century villa in an olive grove, and its collection traces the artist's whole career, from early paintings to the famous coloured-paper cut-outs. Matisse lived in Nice for almost forty years, from 1917 to 1954, and gave much of it to the city himself. Nearby are Roman ruins, a Franciscan monastery with a garden, and the cemetery where he lies. Entry is ticketed; allow 1.5–2 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-matisse - City: [Nice](https://yesgo.io/france/nice), France - YesGo score: 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Nice museums ticket - Hours: By day, closed Tuesdays - Opened: 1963 - Duration: ≈ 1.5–2 hours, half a day with Cimiez - From the centre: ≈ 15–20 minutes by bus - Location: Cimiez hill, north Nice - Coordinates: 43.71944, 7.27611 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1917–1954** — Matisse lived and worked in Nice (source: English Wikipedia) - **68** — paintings and gouaches (source: English Wikipedia) - **236** — drawings by Matisse (source: English Wikipedia) - **187** — of the artist's own belongings (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Musée Matisse The Musée Matisse is Nice's municipal museum devoted to **Henri Matisse**. Its collection is one of the world's largest and traces his whole career, from first steps to final works. It opened in 1963, built on gifts from Matisse himself, who lived in Nice **from 1917 to 1954**, and from his heirs. The museum occupies the **Villa des Arènes**, a red Genoese mansion of 1670–1685 with yellow shutters and trompe-l'œil windows. It was built for the Nice consul Jean-Baptiste Gubernatis, and the city bought it in 1950 to save it. After renovation in 1993 a modern wing was added, so the museum can now show its entire permanent collection. ## What to see - **Paintings and gouaches** — from early still lifes to the Nice odalisques. - **Paper cut-outs** — the bright late works. - **Sculpture** — 57 pieces by the artist. - **Matisse's belongings** — furniture, vases and fabrics he painted. - **The olive grove** — Cimiez park around the villa. - **Cimiez monastery** — a rose garden and a view of the city. ## The collection The collection holds **68 paintings and gouaches**, 236 drawings, 218 prints, 57 sculptures, 14 illustrated books, photographs, tapestries, ceramics and stained glass. You can follow how Matisse changed: from dark early still lifes to the bright canvases of his 'Nice period' and on to the **coloured-paper cut-outs** of his last years, when he could no longer stand at the easel. Most fascinating are the **187 objects that belonged to him**: armchairs, vases, screens, fabrics and things that kept appearing in his paintings. Spotting on a canvas the same vase that sits in the display case beside it is one of this museum's great pleasures. > **How to combine** The Musée Matisse pairs easily with the **Chagall Museum**, on the slope of the same hill on the way up from the centre. Chagall in the morning, then the bus up to Cimiez, the Matisse Museum, and a stroll through the olive grove and monastery garden. Eat at a café at the foot of the hill or bring a picnic to the park. ## Cimiez hill **Cimiez** is a quiet green district on a hill above Nice. In antiquity it was the Roman city of **Cemenelum**, capital of the province of Alpes Maritimae. Its ruins survive right by the museum, an arena, amphitheatre, baths and an early Christian basilica, with an archaeology museum in the next building. From 1974 to 2010 the Nice Jazz Festival was held among the ruins. In the Belle Époque Cimiez became a resort for **royalty**: Queen Victoria, Edward VII and King Leopold II of Belgium all stayed here. Nearby stands the vast Excelsior Régina Palace, where the Queen lived during her Riviera visits. ## Cimiez monastery Five minutes from the museum is a **Franciscan monastery** and church, home to friars since the 16th century. The church has a Baroque altar and paintings from 1475–1515 by the Italian artist Ludovico Brea. In front of the monastery is a **rose garden** with a terrace overlooking all of Nice and the sea. Behind the monastery is a quiet cemetery where **Matisse** and the painter Raoul Dufy are buried. Many visitors come here after the museum to pay their respects. ## How to get there 1. By bus from central Nice to the Arènes-Musée Matisse stop, 15–20 minutes. 2. On foot from the Chagall Museum, a 20–25-minute climb up Boulevard de Cimiez. 3. By taxi from Place Masséna, about 10 minutes. 4. The museum entrance faces the olive grove. ## Tips for your visit Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the museum, half a day for the whole of Cimiez with the ruins and monastery. The museum is usually closed on Tuesdays, so check before you go. The Nice museums ticket often covers several city museums. The Musée Matisse fits naturally with the [Chagall Museum](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-chagall) and a walk through [Vieux-Nice](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/vieux-nice), so you see both the artist and the city he loved to paint. The villa is small and can feel crowded on rainy days and weekends. The olive grove has benches and a playground, handy for a break with children. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check it isn't a Tuesday closure - [ ] Spot objects from his paintings - [ ] See the paper cut-outs - [ ] Walk over to the Roman ruins - [ ] Visit the monastery garden ## Places in Nice: compare and choose Places in Nice rated by YesGo. - [Chagall Museum](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-chagall) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Ticket - [Saint-Paul-de-Vence](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/saint-paul-de-vence) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free - [Antibes](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/antibes) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Free - [Musée Matisse](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-matisse) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Nice museums ticket - [Cagnes-sur-Mer](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/cagnes-sur-mer) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free ## Don't mix it up The Musée Matisse is in Nice on Cimiez hill; the Matisse Chapel (Chapelle du Rosaire) is in the neighbouring town of Vence. ## Tips - Closed Tuesdays. - Pair it with Chagall. - Rest in the olive grove. - The monastery is next door. ## Questions ### How much is entry to the Musée Matisse in Nice? Entry is on the Nice museums ticket; see the official website for prices. ### How do I get to the Musée Matisse? By bus from the centre to Cimiez hill in 15–20 minutes. ### How long do I need at the Musée Matisse? About an hour and a half to two hours. ### When is the Musée Matisse closed? Usually on Tuesdays; check before you go. ### How long did Matisse live in Nice? Almost forty years, from 1917 to 1954. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Prices, hours and the closing day weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Musée Matisse (Nice) and Cimiez - Museum official website, musee-matisse-nice.org --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.