Jacquemart-Andre Museum, Paris

The artist, Nelie Jacquemart, gave up her brushes when she got married. Her passion for art however, continued to blossom, fired by her equally enthusiastic husband who commissioned the building of this elegant house in 1869. During their travels across Europe, they collected objets d'art, paintings and other contemporary treasures. On her death, Nelie left the whole collection to the Institut de France, which opened a museum in the former residence. Most of the works exhibited date from the Italian Renaissance but there are also examples of the Flemish and French schools from the 17th and 18th Centuries. Frescoes, delicate pieces of furniture and tapestries are worth the visit. Works by famous artists, such as Rembrandt, Carpaccio, Donatello and Fragonard, are also on display here.