Helmed as one of the most prestigious art galleries today, La Vieille Charité is a magnificent architectural complex located at the very heart of the Le Panier quarter in Paris. This building was considered significant as it was initially built as a charity shelter in 1670 by the local architect and sculpture Pierre Puget. This very charity organisation within the Magistrate Council of Marseille commissioned the building of a General Hospital to house the poor, following a royal policy; thus the Vieille Charité came into conception.

La Vieille Charité continued to remain as a hospice for the elderly and the young up till the 19th century, before it was preserved and listed as a Monument Historique in 1951. Today, the Charité houses a wide array of cultural and educational resources. On the first floor, one can find the Museum of Mediterranean Archeology, which holds many Greek, Roman and Etruscan relics. The upper galleries are home to the Museum of Art of Africa, Oceania, and Amerindian, where ethnographical art from the respective countries can be found. Other facilities include a library, a cultural and poetry center, and even a small cinema! There is also a café, where visitors can rest their feet after a day's walk at the Charité.