Magnelli Museum - Museum of Ceramics

The name of Vallauris is unquestionably associated with ceramics and Picasso. The history of the town, its craft-workers and its artistic iteration decided it would be so. This is why a visit to the Château de Vallauris, right in the town centre, perfectly summarises the town's personality. In one place, you can understand the whole art of ceramics and immerse yourself in a work of art of world importance: "War and Peace," by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).

Resident in Vallauris since 1948, Picasso chose the Roman chapel of Vallauris Priory as the location for this monumental wall composition. After "Guernica" in 1937 and "Massacre in Korea" in 1951, Picasso executed this great political fresco which retains a strong current relevance: here the artist denounces passionately and inventively the horrors of war and demonstrates his commitment to peace. The Château de Vallauris, a former priory of Lérins Abbey, reconstructed in the 16th century, is one of the rare Renaissance buildings of the region. It houses the National Museum Pablo Picasso, War and Peace, the Magnelli Museum and the Ceramic Museum. The Roman chapel under its vault is home to two monumental panels since 1954, painted on hardboard, designed especially for the location by Picasso. This chapel is today a national museum. Alberto Magnelli (1888-1971), a contemporary of Picasso, was a Florentine painter. Often cited as one of the pioneers of abstraction, he wanted to give the town of Vallauris a choice of remarkable works. As for the Ceramic Museum, it houses various aspects of ceramics from Vallauris of yesterday and today.