Maison des Chevaliers, Pont-Saint-Esprit

The Musée d'Art Sacré du Gard, located in the historic center of Pont-Saint-Esprit in the French department of Gard, is housed in the Maison des Chevaliers, a medieval residence whose origins date back to the 12th century. The building, acquired by the Conseil général du Gard in 1988, has been classified as a historical monument since 1992.

The Maison des Chevaliers is the former mansion of the Piolenc family, a great merchant family of the Rhone Valley who occupied it for more than six centuries, from the beginning of the 12th century to the end of the 18th century. This sumptuous residence has kept intact its royal court of justice from the 1340's and its two ceremonial rooms dating from 1450 and decorated with exceptional painted ceilings.

Since its opening to the public in July 1995, the Musée d'Art Sacré du Gard has explored the sacred in terms of culture, not catechesis. It claims to be a lay museum of sacred art. Its aim is to make the religious heritage better known by familiarizing the public with its rites and their meaning.

In July 2006, the Conseil Général du Gard decided to make access to the Musée d'Art Sacré free of charge, in order to make its heritage available to as many people as possible and to share its cultural wealth.