Musée d'Art Roger Quilliot

The Clermont-Ferrand art museum opened in 1992 in the former Ursuline convent of Montferrand, a 17th-century building renovated by Adrien Fainsilber (the architect of the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie) and Claude Gaillard. Look up: the central glass roof is the work of Peter Rice, the engineer who designed the one at the Centre Pompidou. Over six levels, nearly 700 works: painting, sculpture, decorative arts, graphic arts and textiles, from the Middle Ages to the present day. You go from Romanesque and Gothic art to a self-portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud, then to Corot's views of Auvergne and Chassériau's La Défense des Gaules. On level 1, take your time in front of the twelve large canvases devoted to Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. The 20th century comes mostly from the collection of Maurice and Simone Combe, Clermont art dealers, displayed on level -2.

Allow 1 hour 30 to 2 hours. In 2026, entry costs €5 (€3 reduced rate); it is free up to age 18 inclusive, and for everyone on the first Sunday of the month. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Monday.