Nouveau Musée National de Monaco - Villa Paloma

56, boulevard du Jardin Exotique
98000 Monaco
Monaco
The Nouveau Musée National de Monaco (NMNM) showcases the heritage of the Principality of Monaco and promotes contemporary works of art through temporary exhibitions at its two locations: Villa Paloma and Villa Sauber. This approach is rooted in a unique country whose history has always been characterised by a dialogue between artistic, scientific and cultural disciplines, and support for designers, thinkers and researchers.

A little history

According to the information which is currently available, it was an American, Edward N. Dickerson, who combined six plots of land belonging to different owners in 1913 to construct a villa and create a garden on Boulevard de l’Observatoire in the Révoires area of Monaco. It is believed that there was already a pavilion on the main plot, and that this was sold by Mr Eugène Roganne, a sculptor and ornamentalist.

The villa, named Villa Coquette by Mr Dickerson, was three storeys high. Some people maintain that the architect was the famous Sébastien Marcel Biasini, but since he passed away in 1913, this seems highly unlikely.
Having been sold for the first time in 1920, the Villa was purchased in 1925 by Englishman Robert W. Hudson, whose father had founded a liquid soap factory back in England. On his retirement, Robert Hudson was in possession of a comfortable fortune and bought the Villa in 1925. Following his marriage to Béatrice Sabina Gaudengio in 1932, it became Villa Paloma. It is said that Béatrice already had a house called Villa Paloma in Cap d’Ail and that she wanted to retain the name for the villa in Monaco. Robert W. Hudson was renowned in Monaco for his great generosity. In 1937, he created a Foundation which bore his name and which sought to promote learning of the English language in the Principality.

Having suffered severe damage during the Second World War, the Villa was in a very poor state when it was purchased by Mr Joseph Fissore on Mrs Hudson’s death in 1950. Following their marriage, the Fissores undertook major renovation work, put in a swimming pool and restored the garden, which had been abandoned.

In 1993, a Monegasque company purchased the villa from the Fissore family. It was sold on to the State of Monaco two years later. In 2008, a decision was taken to give it over to the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco.

Villa Paloma remains one of the most beautiful aristocratic residences in the Principality. Although we cannot be certain of the precise date it was created, it is known that the Villa’s garden was entrusted to Octave Godard, the most talented student of renowned landscape artist Edouard André (1840–1911). Godard turned it into a “classical-style garden”, something of a speciality of his. The stained-glass windows in the grand entrance hall were made by master glazier Fassi Cadet of Nice.

Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm during exhibitions
Closed on January 1st, May 1st, the four days of the Grand Prix,  November 19th and December 25th

Admission:
Adults: NMNM ticket (Villa Paloma + Villa Sauber): €6 
Group ticket: €4 (min. 15 people) 
Combined ticket NMNM/Exotic Garden/Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology: €10
Entrance is free on Sundays
Free for under 26s, school and children’s groups, Monegasque nationals, ICOM and CIMAM members, jobseekers (with identification), people with disabilities.

THE GARDENS OF VILLA SAUBER AND VILLA PALOMA
Villa Sauber and Villa Paloma are home to the collections of the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco. Both have splendid gardens which are open to visitors.
The garden at Villa Sauber has been awarded the Espace Vert Ecologique (EVE) certification by certifying body ECOCERT.
Accessibility: Please note that access to Villa Sauber and its gardens is via a flight of stairs; the gardens at Villa Paloma are accessible.