Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de St-Denis

This art and history museum in St-Denis is set around the cloister of a former Carmelite convent, founded in 1625 by Cardinel de Bérulle and home to Louis XV's daughter, Louise de France, in the 1700s. Along with displays of archaeology, prints about the Paris Commune, Post-Impressionist drawings and documents relating to local poet Paul Eluard, the most vivid part is the first floor, where items are displayed within the nun's austere cells. The monumental statue at the museum entrance is the oldest piece of art to come from the convent, dating from the early 17th-century.