[1] It is located in the historic city centre of Dijon and housed in the former ducal palace which was the headquarters of the Burgundy State in the 15th century.

[2] The museum was founded during the Age of Enlightenment on the order of the Estates of Burgundy on 30 November 1787, but the project dated from 1783, with the decision to build the eastern wing of the palace.

The museum opened its doors to the public in 1799, and gradually spread out within the palace being enriched by imperial grants, deposits by the State, donations and legacies.

As one of the largest museums of France, le Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon is known for its rich collections of sculptures, paintings, art objects and various other items from the past.

The museum also holds extra-European collections, such as ceramic and Islamic glasses, weapons and oriental caskets, ancient ivories of Africa, everyday objects and African ceremonial masks, Chinese and Japanese porcelains, Korean stoneware, Tibetan and Indian sculptures and pre-Columbian ceramics.