#travelforart
A WEEKEND WITH CÉZANNE
Aix-en-Provence
July 21 – 23
DAY 1
Stay as Cézanne
Maison du collector
Explore the French style of living at family hosting rooms in the center of Aix-en-Provence. Located a stone’s throw from museums and among the sumptuous “hotels-particuliers” of the Mazarin district, the Maison du collector opens onto a luxurious private, confidential and intimate home, reserved for insiders only. “Maison du Collectionneur” is comprised of a collection of five spacious and comfortable uniquely decorated rooms with bathtub or large showers and air conditioning, all decorated with an eclectic collection of elegant furnishings. Average price per room is 245 euro/night.
https://maison-du-collectionneur.com/en/about-us/
For more options on Chambre d’hote or Gite home stays please check
https://www.chambres-hotes.fr/chambres-hotes_maison-du-collectionneur_aix-en-provence_h2178374.htm
https://www.gites-de-france.com/fr
Eat like Cézanne
Gallifet Kitchen @gallifetaixenprovence
Enjoy a relaxed meal in a shaded courtyard of an elegant 18the-century property full of history and art. Below a canopy of centuries-old chestnut trees. According to the property owner Nicolas Mazet, the school attended by Paul Cezanne as a kid stands right across from the art center.
Gallifet Kitchen serves local, simple and refined cuisine. The restaurant aims to enhance ingredients selected from the region’s farmers, fishermen and artisans. Some of the fruit and vegetables come directly from the Gallifet Kitchen Garden, 6 kilometres away from Aix. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from midday to 6pm and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening until 11pm. Evening menu approximately 50 euros per person.
https://www.hoteldegallifet.com/fr/p/216/gallifet-kitchen
Hang Out like Cézanne
“Cosi fan tutte” at the Théâtre de l’Archevêché
Like most artists, Paul Cézanne liked to hang out in the most beautiful spots in town, we are sure he wouldn’t miss a chance to participate in France’s premier music festival of Lyric Arts
On the evening of July 21 enjoy a stunning performance of Così fan tutte, the 18th-century opera from Mozart that opened the festival’s very first season in 1948. With the guidance of award-winning theatre director Dmitri Tcherniakov, this enthralling interpretation of Mozart’s classic opera buffa “Cosi fan tutte” at the atmospheric Théâtre de l’Archevêché is sure to amaze you!
Reviewed and corrected by Dmitri Cherniakov as “a bitter role-playing game for experienced couples”, this co-production with the Châtelet, Luxembourg and Baden-Baden will bring together Agneta Eichenholz (Fiordiligi), Claudia Mahnke (Dorabella), Rainer Trost (Ferrando), Russell Braun (Guglielmo), Georg Nigl (Don Alfonso), Nicole Chevalier (Despina), the singers and the Balthasar Neumann Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Hengelbrock
Tickets:
Other summer dates offer a visit to the Aix-en-Provence Piano Festival that runs from July 24 till August 6, 2023.
For more details visit: https://www.lesnuitspianistiques.fr/en/
DAY 2
Start your day at L’atelier De Cézanne @ateliercezanne
Cézanne’s Studio is a magical place. This was his hideaway, where he painted in the light-infused studio. The small house, designed by Cézanne himself and the plot chosen for its seclusion and views, is set in a lovely garden with seductively placed benches perfect for daydreaming or becoming inspired. The views through the trees show Aix and its surroundings, and that special light is always present. The inside, the studio where he created between 1902 until his death in 1906, has been left just as it was and is a perfect time capsule.
To book tickets:
https://www.cezanne-en-provence.com/en/the-cezanne-sites/atelier-de-cezanne/
Walk in the steps of Cezanne and visit the city as he experienced it…
After visiting the studio, be sure to wander around in the garden surrounding it. It is the birthplace of dozens of works now preserved in the great museums of the world. Once you are done, follow a pedestrian route marked by studs stamped with a “C”
This footpath allows you to discover the landmarks of his early years (the houses where he lived as a child, his schools, etc), the places that marked him, the addresses of his family and acquaintances, the cafés where he met his friends and other artists…
The full C rout can be downloaded from here: https://www.cirkwi.com/en/circuit/55225-in-the-steps-of-cezanne
Discover Cezanne paintings at Musée Granet @museegranet
There are many more museums dotted around the city but of all of them, Le Musée Granet is a must-see. Located on Place Saint Jean de Malte in the old Priory of the Knights of Malta, you’ll find a wonderful collection of fine arts spanning the 16th to the 20th century. A number of original Cézanne paintings are housed here in a room devoted to the local artist, along with the works of many French artists and the schools of Dutch, Flemish and Italian art. Other names include Rubens, Rembrandt, Giacometti, and a little-known Spanish artist by the name of Pablo Picasso. The museum itself has recently undergone extensive renovation and expansion works – now, around 600 paintings, sculptures and archaeological pieces are on proud display.
Tickets:
https://www.museegranet-aixenprovence.fr/accueil
Train yourself in the art of wine @chateaudes3sautets
Wine tasting at Château des Trois Sautets or “Castle of the Three Goats”
The estate lies on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, close to the Trois Sautets bridge painted by Paul Cezanne. The vineyards have been revived between the old dry-stone wall terraces.
Come and visit the vineyard and its cellar as well as the goat farm. You can discover the winery’s know-how throughout the visit and satisfy your taste buds by tasting the wines of the castle accompanied by the farm products Brousse du Rove AOP and Cheeses.
From Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm.
Saturday, Sunday and during Holidays from 10am to 7pm.
Reservations:
https://www.chateaudestroissautets.com
DAY 3
Hunt truffles with the view
@lespastras
Enjoy a unique and resolutely authentic Provencal experience with charming local people who conduct their events in English.
Go behind the scenes of the world’s most secretive business. Take a tour of a Provençal truffle plantation, learn how truffles are cultivated and truffle dogs are trained, and go on a hunt for France’s elusive “black gold” with professional hunters who know all the tricks of the trade.
Book a hunt: https://www.lespastras.com
MORE TO SEE
Follow in Cezanne’s Brushstrokes
You can’t miss the rugged and majestic Montagne Sainte-Victoire. This magnificent landmark of Aix is not just an attractive addition to the skyline, it was also the favoured haunt of artist Paul Cézanne. He would spend time exploring and painting the landscapes and scenery of the region, often making use of a windmill in the village of le Tholonet, or a mountain hut, known as ‘Cézanne’s refuge’. Walkers keen to explore the Sainte-Victoire mountain can reach the area via the wooded footpath of Escrachou Pevou to the plateau of Bibemus. There are plenty of footpaths around the mountains, leading to such beauty spots as the Croix de Provence and the roman viaduct above le Tholone
Immerse into art and music inside the old quarry
Carrières de Lumières @carrieresdeslumieres
Watch masterpieces projected onto the huge walls, pillars and floors of the old quarry.
The stunning digital exhibition use over 100 video projectors and a spatial sound system to recreate works of art on walls up to 10 meters high and on the floors as well. Thousands of moving images choreographed with music transport you inside the artworks.
Tickets: https://www.carrieres-lumieres.com/en/home
The Carrieres de Limueres has been operating for decades near the mountaintop fortress of Les Baux-de-Provence, and is one of the most popular tourist sites in the region. It’s an old quarry made up of three mammoth rooms carved inside the mountain.
The place was exploited in limestone quarries since the Romans, then used, in medieval times, for the construction of the Castle and the Cité des Baux. Until 1880, blocks of 2m3 were extracted, first with the iron bar and then with the crocodile saw, at full capacity until 1925-35.
In 1959, amazed by the beauty of the places and their environment, Jean Cocteau decided to shoot sequences of his film The Testament of Orpheus. Today over a hundred of cutting-edge projectors and complex computer control exhibit images onto more than 7,000 m² of floor space.
Cradle your imagination.
Les Baux-de-Provence
Listed as one of the most beautiful villages of France, Les Baux-de-Provence is set right above Carrières de Lumières atop a rocky spur and displays panoramic views over the Crau plain. Its cultural heritage is exceptionally rich, with 22 architectural treasures classified as “Historic Monuments” The village can only be visited on foot, which allows to admire the many architectural features of it, 22 of which are listed as historical monuments by the French government and have been painstakingly restored. These include St Vincent church, the town hall, the castle, various Renaissance townhouses (hôtels particuliers) and chapels. This entirely ‘real-life’ museum is home to art galleries, smaller museums, and the inevitable souvenir and craft shops selling Provençal products!
Entry Costs
Parking (at the edge of the village): 5 € Visiting the medieval village: free Chateau des Baux (castle area above the village): Apr-Sept, 10 €; Oct-Mar, 8 € No ATMs: There are no banks and no ATM cash machines at Les Baux-de-Provence
