Fondation Pierre Gianadda

Fondation Pierre Gianadda Review

The Fondation Pierre Gianadda now rises in bold geometric shapes around the ruins. Inside are three separate collections, and the foundation itself sponsors high-profile, themed art exhibits. Recent temporary exhibitions have spotlighted works by Balthus, Claudel, Rodin, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Its permanent holdings include works by Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Picasso. The newly renovated Musée Gallo-Romain displays Gallo-Roman relics excavated from a 1st-century temple: striking bronzes, statuary, pottery, and coins. A marked path leads through the antique village, baths, drainage systems, and foundations to the fully restored 5,000-seat amphitheater, which dates from the 2nd century. In the gracefully landscaped garden surrounding the foundation, a wonderful Parc de Sculpture displays works by Rodin, Brancusi, Miró, Arman, Moore, Dubuffet, and Max Ernst. There's also a sizable Musée de l'Automobile, which contains some 50 antique cars, all in working order. They include an 1897 Benz, the Delauneay-Belleville of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, and a handful of Swiss-made models.