Musée Hyacinthe Rigaud

The Musée Hyacinthe Rigaud is the fine arts museum of Perpignan, the main city of French Catalonia, and it is named after the painter who is the town's most famous native. Hyacinthe Rigaud was born in Perpignan in 1659 and went on to become the leading portrait painter of the French court. His grand portrait of Louis XIV in coronation robes, painted in 1701 and now in the Louvre, is one of the best-known images of a French king, and Rigaud painted many of the nobles, clergy and officials of the age with the same rich handling of fabrics and sense of rank.

The museum is housed in two eighteenth-century town houses in the old quarter, the Hôtel de Lazerme and the Hôtel de Mailly, which were joined and renovated. Their courtyards and staircases reflect the elegant domestic architecture of Perpignan under the Bourbon kings, and after a major renovation that finished in 2017 the interiors were opened up in a clean, modern style that sets the old stone and the artworks against plain surfaces. This combination of historic setting and simple display makes the museum calm and easy to walk through.

The collection covers a broad range. Rigaud's works are at the centre, alongside examples of the Catalan art of the region, including late medieval painted altarpieces, the retables that are a speciality of the Roussillon, and paintings and sculptures from later centuries. The museum also holds twentieth-century works, among them pieces connected with Picasso, Dalí and Maillol, reflecting the artistic life of the Catalan coast, where many modern artists worked. Temporary exhibitions complete the programme.

The opening hours differ in summer and winter, and the museum is closed on Mondays, so check before you visit. Allow one to two hours. The museum suits art lovers, those who want to understand the cultural character of Catalonia in France and anyone who enjoys a quiet gallery in a historic building.

Perpignan's other sights are close by. The Castillet, the brick gate that was once part of the city's defences, the Place de la Loge, the Collégiale Saint-Jean and the Palau Reial Major, the palace of the kings of Majorca, all lie within walking distance in the old town. The Parc de la Cerisaie and the Espace Malraux are other points of interest. The city's mix of French and Catalan culture is visible in its street names, its food and its language.