NMNM in Monaco – two villas, two eras, and contemporary art

An English painter's Belle Époque villa near Larvotto and an American villa above Jardin Exotique. The Nouveau Musée National de Monaco shows contemporary art in two houses, each with its own history – right now Victor Brauner at Villa Paloma.

The national museum of Monaco has no palace of its own. Instead, the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, NMNM, displays its art in two villas in separate parts of the principality: a Belle Époque villa by the sea in Larvotto and a white villa high up by the Jardin Exotique. Both have a history worth knowing before you go in. Find more addresses in our guide to Monaco.

Villa Sauber – Marie Blanc's villa and an English painter's studio

Villa Sauber on avenue Princesse Grace is one of the last Belle Époque villas in Monaco, according to Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. Exactly when it was built is unclear. Around 1900, it belonged to Marie Blanc, known as the grande dame of Monte-Carlo, and was then called Villa des Bas-Moulins.

In 1904, it was bought by the English painter Robert H. Sauber, who gave the villa its name and had his studio in the west wing. He and his wife lived there for about ten years and sold the house before the First World War. In 1925, he bought it back and moved out in the early 1930s.

In 1969, the state of Monaco bought the villa, and about three years later it opened as a national museum. Since 2009, contemporary art has been shown here. Today the villa is closed for renovation and expansion, and the museum has not announced a date for the reopening. See the villa in VERA PI's guide to Villa Sauber on avenue Princesse Grace.

Villa Paloma – from Villa Coquette to museum

In 1913, the American Edward N. Dickerson combined six plots of land to build a villa with a garden on boulevard du Jardin Exotique. It was first called Villa Coquette. In 1925, it was purchased by Robert W. Hudson, and after his marriage in 1932 to Beatrice Sabina Gaudengio, it was given the name Villa Paloma.

The villa was badly damaged during the Second World War. In 1950 it was bought by Joseph Fissore, who restored it and added a pool and gardens designed by Octave Godard, a disciple of the landscape architect Édouard André. The stained-glass windows in the grand hall were made by the glassmaker Fassi Cadet from Nice. In 1995 the state bought the villa, and in 2010 it became NMNM's second exhibition venue. The villa can be found in VERA PI's guide to boulevard du Jardin Exotique.

Victor Brauner and the autumn exhibitions

During the autumn and winter of 2026, Villa Paloma is showing two exhibitions. Victor Brauner, The Magical Adventure runs from 3 July 2026 to 3 January 2027, and Le Jeu de la rose et du carré from 25 June 2026 to the same date, according to the museum. NMNM is only open while exhibitions are running, so check the programme before you go.

Source: NMNM.

Combine the visit

Villa Paloma is on the same boulevard as the Jardin Exotique, and from Villa Sauber it's a short distance to the beach in Larvotto and the Grimaldi Forum. More destinations along the coast can be found among our Riviera guides on metromode.co, and our plan for 48 hours in Monaco shows how the days fit together.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.