Located in the heart of the old city, the Palais Lascaris is the most notable monument of the Baroque architecture of Nice, in particular for its monumental staircase decorated with frescoes and for its luxuriously decorated halls. The Palace was built in the mid-17th century for the Lascaris-Vintimille family whom Carlo Emanuele II, Duke of Savoy, considered the “most important” of the families of the Nicoise nobility. Purchased in 1942 by the city of Nice, it was classified as a historic monument in 1946. The museum preserves decorative art objects from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as tapestries, paintings, sculptures, furniture and various works of art. On the main floor, the representative apartments invite you to explore the ceilings decorated with mythological-themed frescoes or stucco ornaments, from the end of the 17th century. The Palace also houses a prestigious collection of European academic musical instruments, bequest of Antoine Gautier, which represents the second largest collection in France (after that of the Musée de la Musique in Paris) and one of the most important in Europe.