An official decree issued by Emperor Napoleon founded the Calvet Museum on 2 April 1811, in keeping with the wishes of Esprit Calvet (1728 - 1810). The museum was first established in the former Saint Martial Benedictine abbey, then transferred in 1835 to the magnificent city mansion built for the Villeneuve¬Martignan family between 1741 and 1754 by architects Jean¬Baptis...