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Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée-Library Pierre-André-Benoit is located in the Château de Rochebelle, a neo-classical building located in Alès. This estate, known since the Middle Ages as Brouzenc, took the name Rochebelle about 1700. In 1758 it was described as a large square house with several apartments, a chapel and a gallery. The castle owes its present style to François-Pierre de Tubeuf, dealer of the Rochebelle mines, who acquired it in 1790 and gave it its neo-classical aspect.

In the 19th century, the castle became the residence of the coalminers, who modernized its interior and exterior decor, adding a northern wing. In 1976, the town of Alès acquired ownership and equipment between 1986 and 1988 to install the Pierre-André-Benoit Library Museum, inaugurated in 1989. This museum houses a collection of modern and contemporary art, centered on the illustrated book, derived from the gift of Pierre-André Benoit (1921-1993), printer, sculptor and poet from Ales.

The museum's collections include works by great artists such as Picasso, Braque, Miró and Alechinsky, as well as nearly 425 artists' books. These works reflect abstraction from the 1950s to 1970s and the ultimate work of great contemporary masters. The museum highlights the small format, a passion of Pierre-André Benoit, visible in his own creations and in the graphic arts exhibited. The Château de Rochebelle was chosen for its similarity to Benoît's last residence, the Château Moderne in Rivières-de-Theyrargues.

The museum also offers temporary exhibitions, highlighting major artists such as Picasso, Braque, Jean Arp or Anne Slacik. These exhibitions are based on permanent collections, which include paintings, sculptures, prints and rare books. The museum park also houses metal and concrete works, as well as a remarkable rose garden in spring.

The Château de Rochebelle, before becoming a museum, housed bishops of Alès and coalminers, reflecting the industrial and religious history of the region. Its neo-classical decoration, partly in cement, takes up the elements added by the various owners, including the managers of the coalfields that enriched the estate in the 19th century.

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