Palais Lascaris

[1][4] The historical musical instrument collection is formed around the bequest of the nineteenth-century niçois collector Antoine Gautier.

Everything called for solemn consideration, the large library where the carefully bound and arranged collections were preserved alongside rare editions; the display cases [exhibiting] the gongs, hawaiien guitars, marine trumpets, archlutes, quintons, oboes d'amore, instruments by Maggini or Guarnieri, the four large oak music desks and the imposing Pleyel piano, elicited the visitors' admiration.

"[7][8][9][10]Many famous musicians visited his salon, including Jacques Thibaud and Eugène Ysaÿe; during one soirée in January 1902, Gabriel Fauré performed several of his compositions for piano.

[11] The Gautier collection was bequeathed to the city of Nice in the testament of 26 May 1901 and by a codicil dated 8 June 1901.

[11] The article of the testament that treats the bequest is succinct : "Wanting to encourage the creation in Nice, the city of my birth, of a well-organised institution of musical education, I leave to the city of Nice sixty-thousand (60.000) francs, as well as my collections of musical instruments and accessories, scores and books music, on the sole condition of allotting six hundred (600) francs per year to a luthier charged with the maintenance of the instruments; I believe that Mr. Francois Bovis, luthier, would be the most fitting for this task.