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Origin and history

The Lascaris Palace is an ancient aristocratic residence built in Nice in the first half of the seventeenth century by the Lascaris family of Vintimille, one of the most influential in Nice County. In Genoese Baroque style, it is distinguished by its opulent facade, mythological frescoes and richly decorated salons. The palace remained the property of the family until 1802, before falling into disrepitude in the early twentieth century.

Purchased by the city of Nice in 1942, the palace was classified as a historic monument in 1946. After rehabilitation work (1963-1970), he opened as a museum of popular arts and traditions. In 2001, the city's instrumental collections were transferred there, leading to the opening in 2011 of a permanent exhibition of 500 old instruments, notably from the legacy of Antoine Gautier (1904).

The collection, France's second largest, includes rare pieces such as a 1581 sacqueboute, 17th-century viols, or harps by Sébastien Érard. The palace also preserves Flemish tapestries, furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries, and objects of devotion related to the order of St John of Jerusalem. Its monumental staircase and painted ceilings make it an emblematic example of the Nice civil baroque.

Antoine Gautier (1825-1904), a lawyer and amateur musician, left in Nice his collection of 225 instruments and his musical library. His salon, frequented by artists like Gabriel Fauré, reflects his commitment to musical culture. The legacy, complemented by deposits such as the Fonds Gaveau-Érard-Pleyel (2009) or the Tissier-Grandpierre (2013) collection, makes the palace a key player in European musical heritage, integrated into the MIMO project.

Architecturally, the palace combines genoese influences and 18th century rock decorations. Its appartment apartments, with frescoes and stuccos, illustrate the fascist of the Nice nobility. Ranked among the most remarkable monuments of the city, it forms with the neighbouring religious buildings an exceptional baroque ensemble, witness to artistic evolutions between the 17th and 18th centuries.

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