Enlarged and modernized after major renovation work from 2020 to 2023, the Musée Goya is now a fully redesigned and accessible museum (with ramps and elevator), welcoming visitors to a new 1,500 m2 space.
A little history...
Housed in a former episcopal palace of classical 17th-century architecture designed by Jules-Hardouin Mansart, one of the architects of Versailles, the Musée Goya is a Hispanic art museum unique in France, presenting Spanish art from Antiquity to the 20th century.
In 1894, when Pierre Briguiboul, son of a Castres painter and collector, bequeathed his father Marcel's private collection to the town of Castres, he donated three works by Goya, "Self-portrait with glasses", "Portrait of Francisco del Mazo" and "The Philippine junta".
In 1949, prestigious deposits from the Musée du Louvre confirmed the Hispanic focus.
Since then, the acquisition policy pursued by the town and the museum has regularly enriched this remarkable collection.
The purchase of Joan Miró's Gaudí series is a concrete example of the museum's desire to strengthen its twentieth-century focus.
The Goya Museum also houses four engraved series by Goya. However, for conservation reasons, these are only presented to the public on an occasional basis during temporary exhibitions.
Other artists are also represented, including Juan Rexach, Velasquez, Murillo, Ribera, Valdés Leal, Alonso Cano, Pacheco, Zurbaran, Picasso...
The facades of the entire building have been listed on the Inventaire supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques since 1927.
An outstanding French garden....
A true extension of the palace, a formal pleasure garden was created to the south in 1676 at the request of Monseigneur de Maupéou. Composed of parterres of embroidery and arabesques in the style of the royal gardens laid out by André le Nôtre, it was completed around 1700. Initially closed and private, it was opened to the outside world in the early 19th century. In 1963, the fountain and its water supply were installed in the central basin. The boxwood parterre has been preserved in its entirety. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1995, the garden was awarded the "Jardin Remarquable" label in 2004.
Hôtel de ville
81000 Castres
Tel.: 05 63 71 59 30
goya@ville-castres.fr
http://www.musees-midi-pyrenees.fr
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