Sights in Biot — 3 of Our Favourites

On the evening of May 13, 1960, a unique event inaugurated the Fernand Léger Museum in Biot. More than five thousand guests flocked to the opening of the first monographic museum in the region. Under the patronage of Picasso, Braque and Chagall, the inauguration brought together celebrities from the literary and artistic world, film stars and politicians.

In 1987, the museum was the subject of an expansion, a new wing of the building would double the exhibition area. The space was then modernised between 2004 and 2008, which allowed a better presentation of the permanent collection.

The 50th anniversary of the museum came in 2010, and after more than half a century of existence, the Fernand Léger National Museum is a place of reference for the work of this artist. Throughout the year a rich program of exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and educational workshops was offered to visitors.

The building itself incorporates a huge mosaic facade, originally planned by Léger for decorating the stadium in Hanover, which was never realised. Inside, you can see paintings, drawings, ceramics, mockups of his monumental projects, sculptures and films made by this colourful artist.

The audioguide is available in seven different languages.

This factory invented bubble glass, mastering the bubble and imprisoning it between two layers of glass to transform a defect (a bubble) into a feature of quality which also makes each glass unique.

Visitors can watch the glassblowing in practice and also have the chance to buy some souvenirs. There are various different objects including glasses, vases, chandeliers, jugs and pitchers.

The first parish church was built near the castle in the first half of the 12th-century. During the second half of the 14th-century the village was depopulated and the church destroyed in 1367. Repopulate by Genoese families in 1470, a new village church was then rebuilt, perhaps by partially reusing elements of the original one.

The side door was finished in 1506, with the main door not being completed until 1536. Side chapels were added in the second third of the 17th-century.

It is a remarkable building with many carved or painted details. It contains exceptional works of sacred art including altarpieces, such as that of the Virgin in the Rosary (16th century), attributed to Louis Brea.

The exceptional acoustics of the building make it possible to enhance concerts such as the Festival des Hours Musicales, an institution in Biot for almost 30 years and attract internationally renowned musicians.