After more than a decade of waiting, art lovers in the French Basque country can finally rejoice. The Bonnat-Helleu Museum in Bayonne, often dubbed the “Little Louvre,” has reopened its doors after 14 long years of renovation. With €35 million spent and the guidance of three different directors, the museum emerges refreshed, modernized, and more welcoming than ever.
The journey to reopening was far from smooth. Initially budgeted at €10 million, the renovation costs quickly ballooned as additional needs—new furniture, roadworks, and educational facilities—were factored in. Even the building’s basement posed unexpected challenges due to its proximity to the Adour River, necessitating further structural considerations. Leadership changes only added to the delays, with the project gaining momentum only when Barthélemy Etchegoyen Glama, a former advisor to Louvre president Laurence des Cars, joined the team.
Now, visitors can experience a museum that blends the richness of French Old Masters with modern, thoughtful curation. With 7,000 works housed here—2,500 on loan from the Louvre—the museum’s collection is one of the most significant in France, second only to the nation’s iconic capital institution. Paintings and drawings by masters like Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, and Michelangelo are now complemented by an intuitive, theme-based layout that aims to make art accessible to all. “Emotion is key to our museum experience; we want it to feel welcoming, not intimidating,” says Hélène Ferron, head of collections.
Beyond the artworks themselves, the museum’s physical transformation is remarkable. Original features such as Giandomenico Facchina’s mosaic floors have been restored, and the central courtyard now boasts a striking diamond-shaped roof. Adjacent buildings have been acquired to create expanded exhibition spaces, a café, and modern offices. Exhibition areas have doubled in size, allowing for better display rotation and a richer visitor experience. Around 50 works will be displayed at a time, rotated quarterly, keeping the gallery dynamic and engaging.
The museum also embraces its regional roots. Beyond exhibiting internationally renowned works, the Bonnat-Helleu Museum plans to participate in local festivals and celebrate Bayonne’s artistic heritage, giving visitors a sense of place and context. The renewed focus on visitor experience, combined with the expanded collection, aims to double the museum’s annual footfall, targeting 60,000 to 80,000 visitors.
For those who have waited 14 years, the reopening is nothing short of a cultural revival. The Bonnat-Helleu Museum now stands as a space where history, art, and local identity converge, offering both longtime residents and new visitors an enriching, accessible, and emotionally engaging journey through centuries of artistic mastery.
In Bayonne, the “Little Louvre” is finally ready to reclaim its place on France’s cultural map, blending old-world artistry with modern sensibilities and a renewed promise to delight every visitor who steps through its doors.
