Cimiez Convent

16th-century monastery and burial place of Matisse

featured in Sights & Sites

This 16th-century Franciscan monastery includes a church, a 17th-century chapel and a small museum explaining the Franciscan way of life throughout the centuries.

Originally founded in the 11th century by Benedictine monks, it was later turned into a Franciscan convent. The monastery is still home to Franciscan monks and is the location of a museum containing artwork, 17th century frescoes and documents, as well as a replica monk's cell.

The church houses three important paintings by the Bréa brothers, while the lovely gardens are home to a cemetery where Matisse and Dufy are buried.