Aix-en-Provence La Constance an Urban Development Project

Long before the A8 autoroute came along with its thundering heavy traffic, it was easy for Paul Cezanne to wander across to the plateau at La Constance from the family bastide at Jas de Buffan, to paint the Mont Sainte-Victoire, the Pilon du Roi and the new viaduct taking the railway line into Aix.  Another reason to visit as when, in 1886, his young sister Rose and family moved to the 18th-century Bastide Bellevue, perched on the slope.

Long after the famous artist passed away, the city pays tribute to his work and the place that inspired him. Aixcentric writes,

A new quartier, La Constance, is being developed to the southwest of the town: one of the first buildings to emerge will be SMAC, Salle des Musiques Actuelles du Pays d’Aix. And courtesy of architects Ricciotti-Battesti, this is what it will look like:

Interesting! The 2.8m euro building will be covered by a concrete shell to make it look like a rock, and vegetation will add a natural aspect.  SMAC will be a venue for all sorts of music.

La Constance and Cézanne

The official website for La Constance (in French) with a map of where Paul Cézanne painted and details on the historic properties.

The population of Aix-en-Provence grew from 28,000 in 1900 to 143,000 in 2014. The need for planned urban expansion to accommodate the city’s residential needs was identified in the 1990s, and La Constance was identified as a suitable prospective area (for study) in 2001. As with any urban densification project, there are many elements to consider. There remains work to be done before this development gets the green light to proceed, in July 2019. The detailed timeline is below:

Société Paul Cézanne website for detailed information (also in French) on the artist, his letters and the places he painted.