The Hôtel de Villeneuve-Martignan, in which part of the Calvet Museum is installed, is one of the most prestigious buildings occupied by the Foundation. This magnificent 18th century mansion in a Franco-Italian style, with its courtyard and garden, was built by Jean-Baptiste Franque, assisted by his son François. Added to and adjoining it is the beautiful private mansion purchased by the city from the Montlaur family in the beginning of the 20th century.
The Calvet Museum today houses works of art from the 16th to 20th century, and holds innumerable collections donated or bequeathed by patrons, art lovers and collectors, such as Baron de Montfaucon, Esprit Requien, Noël Biret, the Montlaur family, and recently Marcel Puech.
The importance of its collections has led the Calvet Museum to be considered a "Museum of France". It counts tens of thousands of items on its inventory, which belong to fields as diverse as archaeology, the fine arts (paintings, sculptures, drawings), the decorative arts (gold and silverware, earthenware and porcelain, tapestry, ironware) and ethnology (Asia, Oceania, Africa).
Modern art has not been forgotten and a room is devoted to it.
An Egyptian Collection acquired by the Foundation is also presented.