Musée Ste-Croix

Poitiers


The 1970s Brutalist architecture of this art museum, built from reinforced concrete, is a shock after the elegance of its ancient episcopal neighbours. Inside, prehistoric, Roman and medieval artefacts mingle with art from the 14th to 20th centuries. Jean-Baptiste Pierre's magnificent Aurore et Tithon (1747) and several signed statues by sculptor Camille Claudel (1864–1943), artist model and companion to Renoir, are highlights. Occasional temporary exhibitions too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Poitiers attractions

1. Baptistère St-Jean

0.04 MILES

Constructed in the 4th and 5th centuries on Roman foundations, this ginger-stone baptistery formed part of the episcopal ensemble with the cathedral, 100m…

2. Cathédrale St-Pierre

0.07 MILES

The town's grand Gothic cathedral safeguards beautiful 13th-century oak-carved choir stalls, an 18th-century organ with more than 3000 pipes and…

3. Église Notre Dame la Grande

0.34 MILES

The celebrated western façade of this Romanesque church was exquisitely sculpted in soft gold stone between 1115 and 1130. Spot the temptation of Adam and…

4. Palais de Justice

0.37 MILES

Today it houses the law courts, but nearly a thousand years ago this stunning building was the seat of the Counts of Poitou and Dukes of Aquitaine. Its…

5. Église St-Hilaire le Grand

0.77 MILES

Consecrated in 1049, used as a warehouse during the Revolution and partly rebuilt in the 19th century, this grandiose Romanesque church appears on Unesco…

6. Futuroscope

5.84 MILES

This futuristic theme park takes you whizzing through space, diving into the deep-blue ocean depths, and racing around city streets and on a close…

7. Abbaye de St-Savin sur Gartempe

24.67 MILES

Nicknamed the 'Romanesque Sistine Chapel', this Romanesque abbey-church – a Unesco World Heritage Site – showcases extraordinarily fine frescoes from the…