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Origin and history

The Arlaten Museum, or "Arlesian Museum" in Provençal, is an ethnographic museum dedicated to Provence, located in the former Laval-Castellane hotel and the former Jesuit college of Arles. Founded in 1896 by Frédéric Mistral, Nobel Prize laureate of literature, it brings together collections of art, ethnology and local history. The museum first opened in 1899 before settling in 1904 in the Laval-Castellane Hotel, thanks to the financing of the Mistral Nobel Prize. The buildings, partially classified as historical monuments between 1905 and 1944, house ancient remains, a 17th century chapel and 18th century facades.

Closed for renovation in 2009, the Arlaten Museum reopens in 2021 after a restoration of 22.5 million euros, including the acquisition of the Jesuit chapel for temporary exhibitions and the creation of a conservation centre (CERCO). The museum journey, redesigned by architect Michel Bertreux and Christian Lacroix, offers five time sequences from the late 19th century to the present. The museum, labeled "Tourism and Handicap" and awarded for its accessibility, collaborates with local cultural events such as the Rencontres de la Photographie.

Originally, the museum was managed by the Arlaten Museum Committee, chaired by Mistral until his death in 1914. In the 1930s Fernand Benoit became a Conservative. In 1999, the museum was transferred to the Bouches-du-Rhône department, becoming a departmental museum. During its closing, the program "Outside the Walls" maintains its radiation via exhibitions and workshops. Since its reopening, it has promoted innovations such as multimedia audioguides incorporating external images, such as the Venus d'Arles or engravings from the Beaucaire fair.

The successive protections of the monument concern the ruins of an ancient temple (1905), the ancient buildings of the Laval-Castellane hotel (1907), the chapel (1921) and the eighteenth century facades (1944). Owned by the department, the site is part of a heritage and inclusive approach, obtaining in 2024 the National Prize of Accessible Tourism. Its official address, 29 rue de la République, makes it a central place of Arlesian cultural life.

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