aixcentric

‘Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine’ festival is celebrated nationally and Aix always comes up with a programme of events and opportunities to visit places often closed to the public.

It’s held each year during the third week of September; but this year, being this year, things are a little different, with some visits having to be pre-booked with the Aix mairie before 14th. I’m guessing they need details for potential contact-tracing, and will be limiting numbers too: the days of just rambling around are over for the time being.

Here is the full brochure : 2020-prog-jep  The visits are pages 35-37.

The theme this year is ‘Nature et architecture’ and the brochure guides us around town via examples of natural imagery in paintings, stonework, sculpted wood and gypseries, plus of course fountains…dolphins in the Quartier Mazarin and swans at the Rotonde. It’s a delightful introduction to town for new arrivals who should try to get hold of a paper copy.  The photography is excellent.  It is usually available at the tourist office, but you have to ask for a copy as it is kept behind the counter.

There are a couple of new items. One is a visit to Villa Acantha, a Provencal townhouse on ave Pasteur, built in the 18thc by Joseph Sec.  Later it was the home and atelier of local artist Louis Gautier.  It has been renovated and turned into a cultural centre for the French language.

The other is a new expo, ‘Aix de la Ville a la Campagne’ at the Musée du Vieil Aix.  The town was bound by walls and then the peripherique until the fifties, with only scattered developments encroaching on the countryside. Nature was literally very close to the architecture.  Eighty paintings have been chosen to illustrate this theme – they are from local artists working in the 19thc and early 20thc, 12 from the Pavillon Vendome and other recent acquisitions.  These include work by Louis Gautier from the newly-opened Villa Acantha.

More info nearer the time, but remember some early reservations are needed.