Musée Gassendi
Housed in a handsome 19th-century building on Boulevard Gassendi, this double-billed museum pairs a serious fine-arts collection with a cabinet-of-curiosities science wing that would have delighted the 17th-century philosopher-mathematician it honours. It is consistently one of the most surprising small-city museums in Provence.
The Art Collection
The permanent collection spans Flemish still-lifes, 19th-century Alpine landscapes and a strong contemporary wing featuring Andy Goldsworthy's site-specific installation 'Refuge d'Art', which anchors a 150-km network of land-art walks in the surrounding mountains.
A rotating programme of temporary exhibitions means repeat visits are always rewarded; the museum punches well above its weight for a town of 17,000 people.
Pierre Gassendi's Legacy
The science rooms celebrate Digne's most famous son, the philosopher and astronomer Pierre Gassendi (1592–1655), with original instruments, manuscripts and a beautifully restored orrery that demonstrates his heliocentric arguments.
The rooftop terrace, rarely mentioned in guidebooks, offers a quiet view over the old town's terracotta rooflines toward the pre-Alps — bring a coffee from the café downstairs.
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