Musée du Vieil Aix - Hôtel Estienne de Saint-Jean

The museum was founded by Marie d'Estienne de Saint-Jean. The collections created thanks to her numerous donations retrace the history and traditions of Aix-en-Provence. The collections, made up of furniture, earthenware, traditional figurines, objects from craft guilds and puppets from the talking nativity scene, a popular 19th century show, give us a real insight into the life of Aix's inhabitants. Some rare pieces can be discovered, such as the screen from the Corpus Christi procession, which evokes a very old tradition celebrated for many years, a modello by G. B. Gaulli, a model of his project for the baptistery of Saint Peter's in Rome, an exceptional piece of 17th century Italian art, or the 'Annunciation' by Barthélémy d'Eyck (one of the painters of the Roy René), a central panel of a 15th century triptych, the other two panels of which can be seen at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam or at the Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium.