Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of the Madeleine of Aix-en-Provence came into being in 1218, when the Preacher Brothers (Dominicans) settled in the city thanks to Raimond-Bérenger V of Provence, who gave them land near his palace. Their convent, dedicated to Saint Dominique, and its church, dedicated to Notre-Dame, were completed in 1277 under Charles I of Anjou. A fire in 1383, followed by an earthquake fifty years later, partially destroyed the building. Reconstructed hastily, the church collapsed again in 1485. It was raised and consecrated in 1450 under the name of Notre-Dame-de-Pitié, becoming a key political place: it was in its refectory that the States of Provence decided in 1487 to link the region to France.

Between 1691 and 1703 the church was entirely rebuilt by the master masons Jean and Laurent Vallon, as well as by the plasterer Esprit Ravanas, on the planes of the original Gothic church. Several medieval elements are preserved in this new classical style building. The façade, meanwhile, was redesigned between 1855 and 1860 by the Aixois architect Henri Révoil, who added a tympanum carved by Auguste Bosc representing Jesus between Martha and Madeleine. The organ, a masterpiece by Jean-Esprit Isnard (1743), has 3,500 pipes and remains one of the best preserved in France, with 80% of its original sound section.

The church plays a central role in the religious and cultural life of Aix-en-Provence. It houses major works, such as The Martyr of St.Paul of Theodor Boeyermans (sold to Antwerp in 1794) or The Death of St. Joseph of van Loo (1711), as well as tombs of noble families, including those of the Joannis of La Brillanne or Gervais of Beaumont, the first president of parliament. Closed to the public since 2006 due to problems of stability — aggravated by the earthquake of 1909 and adjacent businesses — it is being restored until 2025. Ranked a historic monument in 1988, it is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Bouches-du-Rhône.

Its history reflects the political and religious upheavals of the region. In 1790, the Dominicans were expelled, and the church in turn became constitutional parish, Temple of Reason in 1798, and then returned to worship in 1802 under the name of Sainte Marie-Madeleine, replacing a destroyed homonymous church. Key figures such as the poet François de Malherbe (1585), composer André Campra (1660), and painter Paul Cézanne (1839). Today, his 180 works of art, including the Triptych of Barthélemy's Annunciation by Eyck (1443-1444), are preserved pending the reopening of the site.

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