Bastide du Jas de Bouffan

It was a bit of a walk to get there but definitely worth it! We bought tickets online and got the French tour- it was fantastic! There were a few items I missed and the tour guide was happy to explain and provide more context about Cezanne.

It’s a beautiful home with one room showcasing some very early works via projector as they were under layers and layers of paint, wood and wallpaper. No AC in the home makes it impossible to hold any art pieces. Most of the home was updated heavily in the 60’s. Turns out the home was only lived in by Paul’s family for about 20 years. They did not build this house. It was not his childhood home. They only visited this country house (at the time) in the summer. Most of the land has been sold off. Large poplar trees that line the drive were not there in Cezanne’s time. All in all I was disappointed with a couple of interesting points.

Although the renovations are ongoing, the place is beautiful and worth visiting. Recommend booking the tour to learn more about Cézanne and the place ~ they also explain the renovations. Ps. There is a cafe with drinks and food.

Poor management of the programmes and itineraries. Although it was required to book online in advance, and come before "20min" before the tour "starts," neither of it was followed - someone could join slightly later when it already started, and as I booked the "English" tour, it was not prioritised compared to the French tour (they went in much earlier) while the English tour began 6 min late and everyone got an individual headphone, taking more time just doing it. However, you need the guide to get into the house. Cezanne's family used to live here and he didn't directly live here according to the guide. There are no ACTUAL PAINTINGS in this house. You'll see some projected images. If you speak some French I recommend taking the tour in original language, an applause for the guide who didn't seem much comfortable speaking in English but it took more time for them to explain, trying to speak in sentence by sentence - which didn't provide much information unfortunately within a given time frame. Content-wise, I was hoping to hear more about Cezanne's family (e.g. How they ended up staying here/made the decision, what's the relevant story of this house to the family etc.) but the principal narratives didn't seem to be covered somehow. They were constantly checking if the visitors had any questions but since not much info was given from the beginning there wasn't much to ask for follow-ups. + I recommend visiting the Museum Granet first and to come here, although opening hours differ and the Museum seems to stay open til very late. From there you can see more of Paul Cezanne's paintings and have comprehensive understanding throughout current temporary exhibition.

Disappointing visit. Not much insight into Cezanne’s life in his Jas de Bouffan. There is little or no furniture at in the rooms open yo visitors. It is defo a work in progress. You are much better off to go to the museum Granet.

Very very good. Truly feeling to be back 200 years in the past with the visit tour telling a lot about the life of the painters in Aix of Provence. 4.5 * Ty Mikaël Gillioz

To really enjoy your visit here I would advise you to book a guided tour (available in French and English) because otherwise you might miss the link between this special place and Paul Cezanne. First I was at the Granet museum (the current exhibition explores Cezannes life at and the meaning of the Bastide du Jas de Bouffan to him and his art) and afterwards I took part in a guided tour at Bastide du Jas de Bouffan. I learned so much and I very much appreciate the opening of this special and historic place to visitors.

The proverbially french only website did not specify the need for a reservation We walked all the way though a not so nice neighbourhood only to get bounced. Sad :(