The former Archdiocese's palace, which has housed the Tapestry Museum since 1910, is a spacious building comprised of four wings framing an interior courtyard. The origins of this architectural framework go back to the creation of the Roman city of Aquae Sextiae during the 1st century a.d. The museum presents furniture, portraits of the archbishops, as well as three sets of outstanding hanging tapestries, located in the former apartments: The Grotesques, six tapestries inspired by the Berain style and woven around 1689 according to the cartoons of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer; The Story of Don Quixote, illustrating selected episodes of Cervante's novel, comprised of nine tapestries woven between 1735 and 1744 according to the cartoons of Charles Natoire; Russian Games, consisting of four tapestries woven between 1769 and 1793 according to the cartoons of Jean-Baptiste Leprince. Since 1990 the museum has developed a section based on the lively arts, namely dedicated to the International Festival of Lyric arts. Models, stage-sets, costumes, accessories, photo and posters make up the collection. While the presentation of contemporary textile creation during the 1970's and 1980's was in continuity with the museum's original collections, it chose to broaden its scope of the present beginning in1990 so as to encompass all forms of expression. Contemporary art exhibitions bear witness to the museum's continued involvement in the art of our times.