Couvent des Prêcheurs

Couvent des Prêcheurs is the former Dominican convent of Aix-en-Provence, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of southern France. Its old conventual church survives today as the église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, while the monastic buildings themselves went on to serve the city in very different capacities, from law courts to schools.

When did the Dominicans settle in Aix?

The Order of Preachers, whose French name "Prêcheurs" gave the convent its title, reached Aix-en-Provence in 1218, only a few years after the order's papal approval. In 1226, Count Raymond Berengar V of Provence granted the friars a plot just outside the city walls, near his own palace, for their new house. Building a full complex with a church and two cloisters took decades and was not finished until 1277, under Charles I of Anjou.

What survived the fire, and what was rebuilt later?

A major fire in 1383 badly damaged the church along with both cloisters. Only the church and the smaller of the two cloisters were subsequently restored; the larger cloister never fully regained its earlier form. The convent underwent further building campaigns in the mid-15th century and again in two phases during the 17th century. The church's present appearance owes most to work carried out between 1691 and 1703 under architect Laurent Vallon. Its façade was reworked much later, between 1855 and 1860, by architect Henri Révoil.

Why is the church named after Mary Magdalene?

The dedication to Sainte-Marie-Madeleine was not original to this building. An older church bearing that name once stood elsewhere in Aix and was demolished in 1791 during the Revolutionary period. The former Dominican church inherited the title afterward, a change formally confirmed at its consecration on 30 April 1822.

What happened to the convent after the Revolution?

The fate of the monastic complex itself took several turns. In 1786, after the destruction of the counts' palace in Aix, the law courts moved into the convent buildings. From 1836 until 2015, the site then housed a succession of schools. Only in 2021 did the French Ministry of Justice acquire the former Couvent des Prêcheurs, opening a new chapter for the property.

What is the famous Annunciation triptych?

The church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine is closely tied to the Aix Annunciation triptych, one of the major Provençal paintings of the 15th century. Its central panel was painted by Barthélemy d'Eyck, an artist from Liège who later worked at the court of King René of Anjou. The altarpiece was commissioned on 9 December 1442, specified in the will of Pierre Corpici, an Aix cloth merchant who supplied the royal court, to sit above the altar of his family chapel in Saint-Sauveur cathedral. The painting was completed in either 1444 or 1445. Over time the triptych's panels were separated: the upper part of the left wing, a still life, is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; the lower part of the left wing, showing the prophet Isaiah, is held by the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam; and the right wing, depicting the prophet Jeremiah, belongs to the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. The central panel remains associated with the église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Aix.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded the Couvent des Prêcheurs in Aix-en-Provence? The convent was established by the Dominicans, who arrived in the city in 1218 and were granted land for it in 1226 by Count Raymond Berengar V of Provence.

Why is the church called Sainte-Marie-Madeleine? It took the name from an older church dedicated to Mary Magdalene that was demolished in 1791; the new dedication was confirmed at the church's consecration in 1822.

What is inside the former convent buildings today? After long spells as law courts and then schools, the complex was purchased by the French Ministry of Justice in 2021.

What painting is this church best known for? The central panel of the Aix Annunciation triptych by Barthélemy d'Eyck, commissioned in 1442 - the triptych's other panels are now held in museums in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels.