Aubagne, Marcel Pagnol's town, Marseille

About Aubagne

Aubagne lies in the Huveaune valley east of Marseille, ringed by the Garlaban and Sainte-Baume massifs. It's the department's sixth-largest town, but its old centre is a cosy Provençal town of narrow streets, squares, fountains and chapels.

Aubagne is famous for two things. First, it's the birthplace of Marcel Pagnol (1895–1974), writer, playwright and director, one of France's best-loved authors. Second, it's the capital of santons, the little clay figurines Provençal families use to decorate their Christmas cribs.

What to see

• Pagnol's birthplace — a museum in the town centre.
• Santon workshops — handmade clay figurines.
• The old town — lanes, fountains and squares.
• The penitents' chapels — Black, Grey and White.
• Garlaban hill — trails through Pagnol's childhood haunts.
• La Treille — the writer's holiday village.

Marcel Pagnol

Marcel Pagnol was born in Aubagne on 28 February 1895, the son of a schoolteacher. He grew up in Marseille and spent his summer holidays at the Bastide Neuve house in the village of La Treille, in the hills between Aubagne and Marseille. He described those summers in My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle, books every French schoolchild knows.

Pagnol made his name with plays about the port of Marseille, Marius, Fanny and César, then became a film director and in 1946 the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française. His novels Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources are rooted in these hills too. The house where he was born is now a museum of photographs, books and belongings.

Santons and ceramics

Santons, 'little saints' in Provençal, are clay figurines placed in the Christmas crib: not just the Holy Family but the people of a Provençal village, the baker, the fishwife, the shepherd, the lavender seller, the miller. Aubagne is the main centre of their production, with about a dozen workshops.

In the workshops you can watch the figurines being moulded, fired and hand-painted, and buy a souvenir. Aubagne has long been known for terracotta too, pottery and tiles from the local clay, which is why it hosts a ceramics festival and pottery market.

Pagnol's hills

Above the town rises the white limestone hill of Garlaban, symbol of 'Pagnol country'. Trails cross the hills past places from his books: the village of La Treille, springs, farms and viewpoints. Some routes lead to the Bastide Neuve, where the writer spent his holidays.

Films of Pagnol's books were shot in the surrounding countryside too. The trails are stony and exposed, so wear good shoes and bring water and a hat.

The old town

Aubagne's old centre climbs a hillside: narrow streets, stairways, little squares with plane trees and fountains. Three chapels of the penitents' brotherhoods survive, Black, Grey and White; the Black Penitents' chapel holds a painting from 1695 listed as a historic object.

In the mornings a market fills the centre with vegetables, cheese, olives and Provençal herbs, and locals sit in the cafés on the squares. Aubagne is far calmer than Marseille and pleasant to wander aimlessly, dipping into shops and workshops.

Tips for your visit

Half a day is enough for Aubagne with Pagnol's house and the workshops; with a hike in the hills, a full day. The old town and museum in the morning, santon workshops at midday, and the Garlaban trail or a trip to La Treille in the afternoon.

Aubagne pairs well with Cassis, 20 minutes away by car, or head back to the Old Port for dinner in Marseille.

Town buses and the tram are free, easy without a car. The centre is flat and pushchair-friendly.

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How to do it right

• December means the santon fair.
• Public transport is free.
• Hike the hills in the morning.
• Read Pagnol before you go.

Questions