Annonciade Museum

You’re standing before the Annonciade Museum, housed in a former 16th-century chapel right on the harbor. From the outside, you’d never guess what lies within, yet it’s one of the most remarkable modern art museums in the region. Founded in 1922, it reminds us that Saint-Tropez owes its fame not only to sailors or the jet set, but also to painters. The story begins in 1892, when Paul Signac docked here and chose to settle. Before long, he was drawing in Matisse, Cross, Derain, Bonnard—artists captivated by the light and colors of the gulf. Today, the Annonciade brings together their works in a compact collection dedicated to Pointillism, the Nabis, and the Fauves. You’ll come across canvases by Signac, Seurat, Bonnard, Matisse, and Braque, including several direct views of Saint-Tropez. Step inside, and you’ll see how this small Mediterranean port became, at the turn of the 20th century, both a laboratory of color and a beacon of the avant-garde.