Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Besançon

The Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archeologie de Besançon is considered the oldest museum in France thanks to the Benedictine Abbot Jean-Baptiste Boisot's bequest of an art collection to the monks of Saint-Vincent Abbey in 1693, with the stipulation that it be open to the public two afternoons a week. The collection moved into the current museum building when it opened in 1843.

The museum preserves and exhibits collections of regional, national and international renown, ranging from archaeology (Franche-Comté archeology and Egyptology collections) to painting masterpieces (from the Renaissance to the early 20th century), as well as a graphic arts room (8,000 pages covering the history of European art, from the 15th to the 20th century).

The museum's architecture accounts for much of its singularity, combining an elegant neoclassical building, designed by Pierre Marnotte in the 19th century, with an exposed concrete expansion that opened in 1970, designed by architect Louis Miquel, a student of Le Corbusier. The museum was awarded the label du Patrimoine du XXe siècle in 2024 for its architectural distinctiveness.

The Musée de Besançon also stands out for its high standards and ambitious exhibition policy, repeatedly awarded the Exposition d’intérêt national (Exhibition of National Interest) title by the French Ministry of Culture in 2019, 2022 and 2024.