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Musée du Vieil Aix, Provence, France | |
| This museum focuses on the history of Old Aix, in a graceful and appropriate setting. | ||
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The Musée du Vieil Aix, or Museum of Old Aix, is housed in the 17th century Hôtel Estienne de Saint-Jean, at 17 rue Gaston de Saporta (map). It became Aix's museum of the history of the city in 1932. This lovely former private home, with its grand staircase, is a fitting place to focus on the history of Aix-en-Provence. Most of the collection came from the museum's founder, Marie d'Estienne de Saint-Jean. Rooms display furniture, china, miniature scenes, and a collection of Provençal santons. Santons, or little saints, are small painted terra cotta figurines that make up nativity scenes. They were first created in the 18th century, during the French Revolution when churches were not allowed to display large nativity scenes. The craft is still practiced today, though there are fewer santonniers. The museum also has a 19th century "crèche parlante," a large and complex nativity scene made up of marionnettes, elaborate backdrops, and a variety of mechanical characters. Perhaps the most unusual exhibit at the Musée du Vieil Aix is a model of a 17th century dome designed for the baptistry of Saint-Peter's Cathedral in Rome. Created by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, (known as Baciccio), this dome was designed over a 30 year period, with work starting and stopping based on the desires of the current pope and Baciccio's other commitments. When finally scheduled for installation, Gaulli was 70 years old and unwell; he died while in process of setting up the installation, and the project was abandoned. The model eventually was acquired by a citizen of Aix-en-Provence and housed in his nearby hôtel particulier until it was acquired by the Musée du Vieil Aix. In addition to the model itself, a short video (in French) explains its history and development. At the end of the video a photograph of the proposed dome is projected onto the ceiling, giving the visitor a sense of what it would have looked like.
Although many displays in the Musée du Vieil Aix/Museum of Old Aix are self-explanatory, visitors should be aware that the labels and explantaions are all in French. Musée du Vieil Aix
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Above, Some santons on display in the Musée du Vieil Aix.
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