The Must See Paul Cézanne Sites In Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence and 19th-century post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne go hand in hand. It’s impossible to visit this beautiful South of France city and not fall in love with Paul Cézanne’s life and work.

He lived and breathed Aix through his masterpieces. What’s incredible is that you can follow in his footsteps even one hundred years after his death.

Regardless of whether you were a fan of his work before visiting, there’s no doubt that you’ll be one after! So finally, let’s dive in, here are all the important Paul Cézanne sites in Aix-en-Provence.

Are you interested in learning more about Paul Cézanne? We bought this book and love it!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

First Thing’s First! A Brief Paul Cézanne Biography?

Paul Cézanne was a 19th-Century French post-impressionist Aix en Provence painter. He is best known for his love of his hometown (Aix-en-Provence) and painting it. His most beloved landscape to paint was Mont Saint Victoire, just outside the city.

But he’s probably most famous for his still life painting of apples. He shocked the world with the realism of his brush strokes. 

His passion is clear in his work. It’s said that it would take him 10 minutes to paint a single stroke.

Unfortunately, his painting style was unconventional for the time. He only gained worldwide recognition after his death in 1906, so he never lived a lavish lifestyle. His father, a successful banker, would support him and his family with a small allowance every month.

He moved to and from Paris a few times where he fell in love with a woman named Hortense. Together, they had a son and eventually married. But his love for Aix was too strong and couldn’t stay in Paris forever.

He chose to live apart from his wife and child in favour of continuing to paint his one true love; Aix-en-Provence.

Related

Discover Aix-en-Provence A South of France Hidden Gem

Where Did Paul Cézanne Live? What’s This Aix-en-Provence?

Aix-en-Provence is a quaint city in the South of France, 30 minutes from Marseille. Aix, as the locals call it, is inland so this isn’t a typical South of France beach town. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful…

What’s also really incredible about this city is that it hasn’t really changed in hundreds of years. It never went through any industrial revolution like Paris or Marseille. So Aix looks pretty much like it did during Cézanne’s time. Read more about why you need to visit Aix!

As Cézanne said about Aix, ‘When you’re born there, it’s hopeless, nothing else is good enough’. And he’s not wrong!

Just like Cézanne lived and breathed Aix, Aix does the same today with Cézanne. The city is like his proud parents, recounting the stories of his life and promoting his work any chance they get!

Paul Cézanne Aix Footsteps To Follow… Literally

Being the proud parent that it is, the city has put everything in place so that you can walk in Paul Cézanne’s footsteps. Because he spent his life in Aix, with a few brief stints in Paris here and there, you can follow every move he made.

You can opt to do a self-guided tour, or you can go on a walking tour organized by the city. If you decide to go by yourself, the city offers maps that you can follow (you can also pick one up at the tourist office). Plus, they’ve installed gold C plates along the city sidewalks to make your self-guided tour even easier!

Once you’re at the tourists office, don’t miss the statue of Cézanne!

15 Cezanne Sites In Aix To See

28 Rue De L’Opéra

If you’re going to be following in Cézanne’s footsteps you have to start at the beginning… and I mean way back! 28 Rue de L’Opera is where Paul Cézanne was born on January 19th, 1839.

14 Rue Matheron

After about 10 years living on Rue de L’Opera, the Cézanne family moved to rue Matheron and lived there until 1870.

This is when his second sister, Rose, was born. He was now the eldest child with two sisters. Being the only boy in the family, put a lot of pressure on him to succeed and follow in his father’s footsteps.

Église de Madeleine

In the Place de Prêcheurs (in the centre of town), the Église de Madeleine has a lot of significance in the Cézanne family.

It’s where Paul’s parents got married and where he and his sister, Marie, were Christened.

College Bourbon (AKA College Mignon)

On 41 rue Cardinale you’ll find College Mignon. It used to be College Bourbon where Cézanne went to school from 1852 to 1858.

More importantly, this is where he met his two closest friends: Émile Zola (famed author) and Jean-Baptistin Baille. They were known as “Les Trois Inséparables” (The Three Inseparables).

Place Saint Jean de Malte (AKA Musee Granet)

This used to be a school that hosted free drawing classes that Cézanne would attend the years from 1857 to 1862. It’s no longer a school but the Musée Granet has the largest collection of his work in Aix (which isn’t large at all). Most of Cézanne’s work was sold to other museums, though the city is trying its best to get more of his work.

But they do have some of his classics, like the women bathing and paintings of his wife, Hortense.

Make sure you don’t miss this section of the museum; we almost did because it’s in the basement.

Bastide du Jas de Bouffan

Cézanne’s father bought this property and owned it from 1859 to 1899. It’s just outside the city centre (about a 10 minute walk).

A few years ago the city bought it back and is restoring it. It will be open to the public again once finished, but that might take a few years (check here for updates on the Jas de Bouffan renovations).

This is where his father gave him entire rooms to paint murals on the walls. He also spent a lot of time in the backyard painting his surroundings and portraits of his family.

Some of his most famous paintings were done here, like his father reading the newspaper.

Fun fact: in real life his father was reading the republican newspaper of the time (Le Siècle) but Cézanne, switched it out for the liberal one (L’Événement) in his painting.

Les Deux Garçons

This is where Cézanne spent some of his time hanging out with friends. There are letters that he sent back to his son in Paris saying that he came here to meet Émile Zola.

People believe it’s actually named after the two famous Aixoise friends, Cézanne and Zola. But, this restaurant dates back to 1792… way before these two friends began coming here.

In fact, a lot of other ‘famous’ people from the time frequented this pub too, like Picasso!

Unfortunately, this part of Aix history was destroyed in a terrible fire in November 2019. The inside was completely ruined, but the outside is still standing.

Related

The Best Cafés in Aix-En-Provence (& Those to Avoid!)

Hotel de Ville

Aka, the city’s Town Hall. There is so much history to this building, but all you need to know as Cézanne sites in Aix is that it’s where Paul married the love of his life, Hortense.

Place de L’University – Law Faculty

Across the street from Cathedral St. Sauveur is the University Law School. To gain his father’s approval, Cézanne went to Law School here for a few years. He dropped out with one semester left to pursue art.

Mont Sainte Victoire & Carrières de Bibémus

These are probably the most important places to visit, even though they’re the toughest to get to. Both are outside the city, and not within walking distance. You’ll have to drive there, or take the city bus.

Both Mont Sainte Victoire and Carrières de Bibémus were Paul Cézanne’s artistic muses. Mont Sainte Victoire is open to the public with several hiking trails for you to discover. Make sure to bring some food (and wine) to set up a picnic with some views! See how to get to Mont Sainte Victoire and spend the day there. 

The Carrières de Bibémus, on the other hand, needs a guided tour to visit. We weren’t able to visit because it closes at the end of October (we were there in November).

Studio Les Lauves

In 1902, Paul Cézanne bought a studio on the outskirts of the city with his precious Mont Sainte Victoire in view.

It’s about a 20-minute walk from the city centre. You can go on a tour of Cezanne’s studio today, and it looks exactly as he left it. It’s quite small, but you do learn a lot of valuable information about how he worked.

Once you’ve toured some more of the grounds, walk a bit further up Avenue Paul Cézanne (about 14 minutes). You’ll reach a little path that will bring you to the terrain des peintres (aka field of the painters). This was Cézanne’s favourite spot to paint Mont Sainte Victoire.

23, Rue Boulegon

The last home of Cézanne in Aix en Provence was at 23 Rue Boulegon. He bought this studio apartment in the city after the family sold Bastide du Jas de Bouffan.

This is also where he died on October 23, 1906 of pleurisy (after someone found him collapsed on the side of the road). He was painting his truest love – Mont Sainte Victoire.

A bit further down at 13 Rue Boulegon, is the bank branch his father owned and where Paul worked for a short period. You can also visit that if you’re interested.

Cathedral St. Sauveur

Cathedral St. Sauveur is where Cézanne’s funeral took place on October 24, 1906. It’s also where his youngest sister, Rose, had her Christening.

St. Pierre Cemetery

As I said, you can follow his life from birth to death in Aix en Provence. As you probably guessed, the St. Pierre Cemetery is where Paul Cézanne is buried.

You can visit Paul Cézanne in his final resting place in the St. Pierre Cemetery just outside the city. From the centre of town, it’s about a 20 minute walk there.

P.S. Once you’re visiting, head to Promenade de la Torse just a bit further. It’s a beautiful walk in a park following a stream of water.

Hôtel de Caumont

There isn’t actually a Cézanne Aix connection here, but they have a film about his life. The film is included with your museum ticket (plus this museum tends to have beautiful exhibits). When we visited it was all about different Japanese artwork styles.

It’s a good place to start your discovery of Aix en Provence through Paul Cézanne if you’re interested in learning more about his life.

P.S. Want to learn more about the life and work of Paul Cézanne? We bought This Is Cézanne and love it! 

Learn More About Cezanne Before Your Trip

P.S. Need A Place To Stay In Aix? My Hotel Recommendations

Aix en Provence is a very small city in the South of France so there’s no bad location to stay during your visit. We stayed at an Airbnb in Aix because we were visiting for a month. Here are some hotel suggestions I found to stay at while in Aix en Provence.

I would recommend staying in an apartment get a more local taste of this small South of France town and a balcony is a must-have! I love Loft “Le Petit Séquoia for both of those features. You can sleep 5 people in this apartment on the edge of town and it has an unbeatable balcony for everyone to enjoy. See room rates and availability.

For a truly luxury getaway with a pool and spa to relax in the South of France, book a room at the Les Lodges Sainte-Victoire Hotel & Spa. Although it is further outside the city centre, they offer a truly relaxing South of France getaway. I mean, they have not one, not two, but THREE swimming pools! See room rates and availability.

If you want a luxury stay in the city, book Luxury Design Hotel Particulier le 28 where every room is different! They also have an indoor pool and give you one of a kind stay in Aix en Provence. See room rates and availability.

For a budget-friendly option in the city centre (on Cours Mirabeau) stay at Séjours & Affaires Aix-en-Provence Mirabeau. They offer a full kitchen and apartment amenities to live like a local in Aix! See room rates and availability.

For more hotel accommodations in Aix en Provence, see Booking.com.

More Guides To Aix-en-Provence

• Souvenirs To Bring Back From Provence
• Discover Aix-en-Provence: The South of France Hidden Gem
• How To Hike Mont Sainte Victoire
• Guide To Cafés in Aix
• What To Do In Aix-en-Provence On Sunday

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Last update on 2024-12-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API