Welcome to Marcel Pagnol’s hometown. The movies based on his novels- such as Jean de Florette, Manon des Sources, La Gloire de mon Père, Le Château de ma Mère- were shot near the Huveanne valley, in Garlaban Hills. These films give us a romantic picture of Provence. But real-life Aubagne, which is often considered as a mere satellite of Marseille, has changed a lot because of insdustrialization. Everything changes except for the soul, though.
The town center remains typical thanks to its narrow and circular streets that follow the former rampart from the XIV century- all that’s left of it is Grachiou gate. One has to go through stairways to reach Black Penitent.
Aubagne is also known for its ceramics. Clay has been used in this area since ancient times. Tile production followed the amphores and crib figures have been a success for more than a century. About 20 wokshops create these christmas figures.
Believe it or not, Aubagne is the birthplace of a very special institution : the Foreign Legion. This elite troop, which is known for recruiting throughout the world, considers the town as its homeland. You can visit its worth-seeing museum.
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