The exhibition “The Sport as Heritage” was inaugurated at Parc Phoenix in Nice. Until next September 18th, you can visit or revisit this symbolic place that has mainly showcased the largest collections of sports in Nice. An avant-premiรจre of the National Sports Museum, which will settle in Nice starting from 2013.
The yellow jersey of Antonin Magne, the suit of Alain Prost, Yannick Noah’s winning racket, and many others. In total, more than 100,000 objects and artworks that have marked French sports are brought together in a museum. In 2013, at the conclusion of the construction of the Grand Stade, the museum will set up in the future venue of OGC Nice.
The Azure city and its partners now have two years to imagine the museography of one of the richest and most varied collections, which highlights both the history of sports and local champions.
In the meantime, the exhibition “The Sport as Heritage” offers a preview of the future museum. Annie Lhรฉritier, president of the National Sports Museum, presented the project with great pleasure.
5,000 mยฒ of Sports
Created in 1963, the National Sports Museum has always been located in Paris. Initially at Parc des Princes until 1998, but a ten-year closure of public galleries following the Football World Cup changed the state of affairs.
In 2008, the museum reopened in Paris, but the small 700 mยฒ space limited the exhibition of the works.
Last year, Christian Estrosi signed a protocol agreement with the Ministry of Sports on the establishment of the National Sports Museum in Nice. All the mythical sports objects gathered in 5,000 mยฒ in Nice, the opportunity was too good to miss.
An Economic Vision
By signing this protocol, the city of Nice, through its mayor, committed to representing both French and international sports. At the same time, it reinforced the idea that it is a sports land, the origin of many champions.
However, the goal wasn’t just to confirm this viewpoint. The economic asset played a role. The city aims to make the museum an essential tourist spot. In many major cities around the world, sporting exhibitions significantly promote economic growth.
In Lausanne, the Olympic Museum attracts over 200,000 visitors per year, while in Barcelona, 1.5 million people (and over 20 million since its opening in 1998) have already explored the FC Barcelona museum, generating over 10 million euros per year for the Catalan club.
Models to Follow
Given the modernity of the future stadium, there’s no doubt that the National Sports Museum will blend into the setting, offering spectators a journey through time to events that have left a mark.
Will we have in Nice the same response as in Milan, where 143,000 visitors bought a ticket to visit the Football Museum (where 2,500 of the 25,000 items in the collection are displayed in rotation), far more than those who visited the Sforza Castle, Leonardo da Vinci’s Cenacle, or Michelangelo’s Pietร …
