Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Jean Aicard Museum is housed in the house where the writer and academician Jean Aicard lived. When he died, he left his home to his friend Paulin-Bertrand, painter and sculptor. After the latter's death, his widow transferred the villa and its collections to the city of Toulon, allowing the museum to open on May 10, 1980 under the name Villa des Lauriers Roses.

The Provencal-style building houses Jean Aicard's personal objects, including books, manuscripts, and memories left intact in his office and library. The other pieces exhibit works of art, sculptures, paintings and furniture reflecting the orientalist taste of the late 19th century in the region. The winter garden, decorated with texts and illuminations, evokes receptions of personalities such as Pierre Loti or Frédéric Mistral.

The estate extends over a 6 hectare park, designed by Aicard himself. The collections include ceramics by Clement Massier and works by André Paulin-Bertrand. The traditional cuisine, with its pile (Provencal sink) and bread oven, as well as the library of more than 5,000 works, testify to the living environment and the prolific work of the author of Maurin des Maures.

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