Within the delicate golden mild of Provence, the place fountains gurgle beneath stately airplane timber and the scent of lavender mingles with the tang of ripe tomatoes at vibrant road markets, Aix-en-Provence beckons. This elegant jewel of the south, as soon as the capital of Provence, provides not solely elegant attraction however a wealthy cultural legacy formed by its most well-known son, says Janine Marsh takes a stroll within the Footsteps of Cezanne in Aix-en-Provence.
Paint your personal reminiscences of Aix
The colorful, vibrant metropolis wakes early, and by 8 am, the markets are in full swing. The market in Place Richelme bursts with color and life: pyramids of tomatoes, pots of tapenade and crusty loaves nonetheless heat from the oven. Locals chat in Provençal-accented French, filling baskets with contemporary produce, olives and goat cheese. The scent of roasting chickens mingles with aromatic blooms on the next-door flower market. Within the night, this quaint sq. is the right spot for an aperitif and a preferred place for locals to collect.
Cours Mirabeau, Aix’s leafy central boulevard, is good for lingering. Moss-covered fountains circulate gently, and chestnut timber supply cool shade. The sun-warmed ochre partitions of the magnificent baroque mansions are adorned with sculpted facades, and tables spill out onto the pavement for diners to take a seat and watch the world go by.
Wander up the Cours Mirabeau and also you’re strolling straight via Cézanne’s childhood. His dad and mom ran a hat store right here as soon as (the pale signal can nonetheless be seen on the wall), and only a few doorways down is the legendary café Les Deux Garçons, the place Cézanne and his pal the author Emile Zola used to whereas away the evenings. It’s at the moment closed because of a fireplace, however there are rumours it would reopen in 2026.
It was on the close by Mignet faculty that younger Cézanne stood as much as bullies to defend Zola, who repaid him with an apple. Some say it’s what impressed the standard fruit to develop into considered one of Cézanne’s obsessions, showing time and again in his nonetheless life work. The church the place Cezanne was baptised a month after his delivery in 1839, the city corridor the place he married French artist’s mannequin Hortense, and the modest house on rue Boulegon (marked by a plaque) the place he died on 22 October 1906. There are reminiscences on each nook; town seems like a residing, respiratory museum of his life.
His atelier on Lauves Hill is a brief stroll from town centre. Within the two-roomed studio, surrounded by fragrant pine timber, olive orchards and vineyards, Cezanne labored from 1902 till his dying. Upstairs, it feels as if he has simply stepped out, his easel, paint-stained smock, and even among the authentic nonetheless life objects he painted are bathed with delicate mild from the tall home windows. You are feeling Cezanne’s presence. It’s a haunting, intimate glimpse into the artist’s world. To be inside his studio and see his possessions, the spots in his backyard the place he selected to color totally different sides of the panorama of Provence, selecting totally different shades at totally different instances of the 12 months. It seems like being a part of his life on this stunning, secluded space. A restoration of the bottom ground kitchen, because it was in Cezanne’s day, is ongoing and because of reopen step by step from the summer season of 2025.
Simply ten minutes additional on, you’ll discover the Jardin des Ateliers, with some of the iconic views in all of France, the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. This jagged, moody mountain was Cézanne’s muse and obsession. The scene modifications hour by hour, rose hues at daybreak, shimmering within the midday warmth of a summer season’s day, golden at nightfall. From right here, you’ll be able to admire and perceive why Cezanne had such an obsession with the mountain.
Then there’s the Bibémus Quarries, a childhood playground turned lifelong inspiration. You may nonetheless see the little stone hut the place Cézanne saved his paints and canvases. The ochre cliffs and arches are frozen mid-collapse, like historic sculptures holding their breath. Take a guided tour simply earlier than sundown to admire the radiant colors – it’s totally transporting.
Cezanne’s inspiration was the palette of the world he noticed earlier than him – earth tones and purple ochre, olive inexperienced, vibrant orange, carmine and burnt Sienna, cobalt blue and ripe plum. What fascinated him wasn’t simply the fantastic thing about Provence, however its construction. He noticed buildings as blocks of color, timber as vertical strokes, and landscapes as puzzles of sunshine and kind. His fashion laid the foundations for Cubism and earned him the admiration of Picasso, who famously known as him “the daddy of us all.”
However throughout his lifetime, few recognised his genius. The truth is, he hardly offered a portray and infrequently signed his work, contemplating it unfinished. In direction of the top of his life recognition got here from fellow artists, Monet was the primary to purchase a Cezanne – for 50 Francs (about 8 euros). However when town’s museum Musee Granet was provided work after his dying, director Henri Pontier sniffily declined, stating that Cezanne’s artwork would enter the museum solely over his useless physique, a coverage which was adopted for many years. There are actually among the nice painters artworks within the museum.
Properly price a go to is the 18th-century mansion, Jas de Bouffan, bought by Cezanne’s father in 1859. By then he had made a fortune in banking, having deserted the hat enterprise. Right here Cezanne painted a few of his earliest works – on the partitions of the Grand Salon. These murals had been later minimize out and offered (for a pittance), and the partitions had been papered over.
Now owned by town and lovingly restored the home reopened in June 2025. You’ll be capable to see projections of his authentic work on the partitions of the grand salon, and wander the gardens that after noticed Cézanne hunched over his sketchpad. It’s right here that Cezanne painted his card participant sequence, considered one of which offered for a whopping $250 million in 2011 – a far cry from Monet’s 50 Franc discount. Ebook forward for guided excursions of the inside of the elegant mansion with its sometimes Provencal blue-grey shutters. And go away time to go to the gardens, which although smaller than in Cezanne’s time, are filled with reminders of his work, from the sq. pond to the statues.
And if all that artwork appreciation leaves you peckish, I like to recommend the wonderful Villa Gallici only a brief stroll away. Chef Christophe Gavot dishes are as impressed as they’re scrumptious. Assume wealthy, sun-blushed flavours that Cezanne adored, and the type of plating that deserves a spherical of applause.
Aix has a timeless high quality, excellent for a hearty dose of wealthy tradition, joie de vivre and excellent gastronomy – a metropolis that satisfies your soul.
Discover out extra at: aixenprovencetourism.com/en
Janine Marsh is a author and editor of The Good Life France.
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