Quartier Mazarin & the Musée Granet
South of the Cours Mirabeau, the 17th-century grid of the Quartier Mazarin is one of the most intact Baroque urban plans in France — and almost entirely overlooked by visitors rushing to the old town. Wide, calm streets, private mansion gardens glimpsed through iron gates, and the superb Musée Granet make this the most rewarding neighbourhood in Aix for slow exploration.
Walking the Quartier Mazarin
The quarter was built between 1646 and 1651 by Archbishop Michel Mazarin (brother of Cardinal Mazarin) as a planned extension south of the medieval city. Its streets follow a strict grid, and the hôtels particuliers here are even grander than those on the Cours Mirabeau — many now house law firms and private apartments, their courtyards invisible from the street but occasionally glimpsed through open carriage gates.
The centrepiece is the Place des Quatre Dauphins, a small, perfectly proportioned square with a 1667 fountain decorated with four stone dolphins. It is one of the most photographed corners in Aix, yet on a weekday morning you will often have it entirely to yourself. The surrounding streets — Rue Cardinale, Rue du Quatre Septembre — are lined with antique dealers and small art galleries.
The Église Saint-Jean-de-Malte on Rue Cardinale is Provence's first Gothic church (13th century) and houses several Cézanne family tombs. It is usually open and free to enter, and the interior is cool, austere and genuinely moving.
Musée Granet
Housed in a former priory of the Knights of Malta adjoining the Église Saint-Jean-de-Malte, the Musée Granet holds one of the most underrated permanent collections in southern France. The ground floor covers Provençal and Italian paintings from the 14th to 18th centuries; the upper floors display a strong 19th-century French collection including works by Ingres, Géricault and Granet himself.
The star room is the Cézanne gallery: eight paintings donated by the artist himself to his hometown, including early portraits and still lifes that show his development before the Mont Sainte-Victoire obsession took hold. Admission €9, and the museum is rarely crowded outside July and August.
The adjacent Granet XXe building (across the square at Place Saint-Jean-de-Malte) shows 20th-century works including pieces by Picasso, Giacometti and Léger — included in the same ticket. Together the two buildings represent a full day of serious art.
Where to stop nearby
Le Petit Verdot at 7 Rue d'Entrecasteaux (just south of Place des Quatre Dauphins) is a natural-wine bar and bistro with a short, daily-changing menu of small plates built around local producers. It fills up fast after 19:30; arrive early or book.
For coffee, Café Bastide on Rue Cardinale is a neighbourhood spot with no tourist markup, good espresso and a terrace that catches the afternoon sun on the south-facing wall.
Quartier Mazarin & the Musée Granet on video
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