The musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen was founded in 1801 by Napoleon I. Its current building was built between 1880 and 1888 and completely renovated in 1994. The museum houses a collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and objets d'art from the Renaissance to the present age, including a rare collection of Russian icons from the 15th to the beginning of the 19th century. The museum's exceptional Depeaux collection, consisting in paintings donation in 1909, places it at the forefront of French provincial museums for Impressionism. The drawings exhibition room houses over 8000 pieces spanning from the Renaissance to the 20th century.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.