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This museum tops Provence’s list of superb art collections. Opened in 1955, it boasts works by Pierre Bonnard, Raoul Dufy, the pointillist Paul Signac and Charles Camoin, whose work St-Tropez, la Place des Lices et le Café des Arts (1925), is one of the most famous images of the town (see Musée de l’Annonciade).

This small museum has a world-class array of modern art, including paintings by Léger, Bonnard and Chagall, sculpture by Miró and a mosaic pool by Braque (see Fondation Maeght, St-Paul-de-Vence).

The most attractive collection in Nice, the Musée Matisse was founded in 1963, nine years after the painter’s death, and is housed in the 17th-century Villa des Arènes. The collection includes sketches, paintings and bronze sculpture by the prolific artist, as well as some of his personal effects (see Musée Matisse).

Housed in the Château Grimaldi, used as a studio by Picasso in 1946, the museum contains more than 50 of his paintings, sketches, prints and ceramics, as well as works by Léger and Miró (see Musée Picasso, Antibes).

One of the jewels of Provence, this museum houses the world’s largest collection of works by Marc Chagall, including 17 canvases from his Biblical Message series (see Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall).

Mosaics in primary colours, carried out to Léger’s own design, identify this strikingly modern museum. The Cubist painter planned to build a studio here just before his death in 1955, and the museum contains more than 400 of his works (see Biot).

The multi-talented Jean Cocteau, a playwright, author and film director as well as artist and designer, converted this 17th-century fort into his personal museum, donating tapestries, set designs and drawings to the collection.

A dazzling work of contemporary architecture in its own right, with marble-faced towers and glass corridors, the contemporary art museum contains works by some of the 20th century’s greatest avant-garde artists, including Andy Warhol (see Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain (MAMAC)).

Menton’s museum of fine art is housed in the former summer palace of the Grimaldi princes of Monaco and has an extensive collection. High points include works by Utrillo, Dufy and the English painter Graham Sutherland.

Auguste Renoir’s house at Les Collettes, where the painter came in hope that the climate would cure his rheumatism, houses 10 of his paintings. It also has works by Raoul Dufy and Pierre Bonnard (see Musée Renoir, Cagnes-sur-Mer).