Vauvenargues, the village and Picasso's castle

A long village at the foot of Sainte-Victoire

On the northern side of Sainte-Victoire, the main street passes a small square bordered by houses and café terraces beneath the plane trees, then continues between the façades.

On either side of the street, houses show their pale façades, shutters and doorways. Climbing plants cover some of the walls. The village church retains a Romanesque section, enlarged over the centuries with side chapels. Near the church, on Place de Verdun, the Maison du Grand Site Concors Sainte-Victoire provides information about the landscapes and walks around Vauvenargues.

Picasso’s castle across the valley

The castle faces the village above the trees. Set apart from the houses, it nevertheless helps define Vauvenargues through its connection with Picasso. It once belonged to the family of Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues and an eighteenth-century moralist.

Pablo Picasso bought the castle in 1958 and stayed there to work in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In Vauvenargues, he experienced a quieter, more intimate Provence than during his years on the coast. Speaking of the purchase, Picasso said he had bought “Cézanne’s Sainte-Victoire”, linking the estate to the painter he admired. He died in Mougins in 1973 and is buried in the grounds of Vauvenargues Castle. The estate remains private.

Between Sainte-Victoire and the Concors

The village lies between Sainte-Victoire and the wooded hills of the Concors. At the entrance to Vauvenargues, the fountain stands in an open space facing the mountain. Its central column and metal spouts rise above a stone basin. Beyond the low walls and trees, Sainte-Victoire shows its rocky folds and wooded slopes.

Vauvenargues reveals the northern side of Sainte-Victoire, unlike the landscapes around Le Tholonet associated with Cézanne. From Les Cabassols, the Venturiers trail crosses the woods before reaching the ridges, the Priory and the Croix de Provence.

To the north, the road to Le Sambuc crosses the wooded hills of the Concors. Near the Col du Sambuc, the Ubacs ridge offers another walk, with views across the surrounding ranges.

Explore further around Vauvenargues

North of Sainte-Victoire, the lanes and fountains of Jouques continue the tour of Pays d’Aix villages. Farther on, Mirabeau Bridge marks the crossing towards the Luberon, with its old portals and the Sainte-Madeleine chapel above the Durance.

On the way back to Aix-en-Provence, you can follow the walk through the fountains of Old Aix from the Rotonde to the Thermes Sextius. Also visit the market on Place Richelme in the old town, then the Four Dolphins Fountain in the Mazarin district. Le Tholonet and the Zola Dam offer other stops on the western approaches to Sainte-Victoire.