Fondation Pierre Gianadda

In 1976 Leonard Gianadda was preparing to build on a plot in Martigny when the foundations uncovered a Gallo-Roman temple - the oldest known in Switzerland. His brother Pierre died in an air crash that same year, and Gianadda abandoned the development, built a concrete gallery over and around the excavated temple instead, and named it for his brother. The result is unusual: the temple's stone foundations sit in the middle of the exhibition floor, with major loan shows staged around them. The foundation has mounted exhibitions of Van Gogh, Picasso, Modigliani and others at a scale a town of fifteen thousand would not normally see. A Gallo-Roman museum, a vintage car collection and a sculpture park complete it.

What you actually see

• A Roman temple inside a gallery - the oldest known in Switzerland, kept in place.
• Major loan exhibitions - shows of a scale unusual for a small town.
• A memorial origin - built after the founder's brother died in 1976.
• Sculpture park and car collection - the other holdings on the site.

When to go

All year; exhibitions change, so check what is on. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The draw is the temporary exhibition - between shows the permanent material is thinner. Entry prices track the exhibition. It gets very busy for headline shows. Martigny itself is a workaday valley town.

Nearby

The Great St Bernard road climbs south; Verbier is up the Val de Bagnes.