Eglise Saint-Jean-de-Malte
ChurchHidden Treasure
The first Gothic church in Provence, Saint-Jean-de-Malte was the pantheon of the Counts of Aix. Its soaring 67-metre bell tower still dominates the Mazarin district, a rare example of southern Gothic architecture in the Mediterranean.
History
Standing like a stone sentinel on the edge of the Mazarin district, the church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte occupies a unique place in the monumental landscape of Aix-en-Provence. The first Gothic church to be built in Provence at the turn of the 14th century, it broke with the Romanesque tradition that reigned in the south of France at the time, imposing a new architectural language that came from the north but was finely adapted to the demands of the climate and southern tastes. Its octagonal bell tower, rising to almost 67 metres, remains one of the finest examples of a Gothic bell tower in the south of France. What makes Saint-Jean-de-Malte truly unique is its dual identity: as the church of the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem - the Hospitallers - and as the necropolis of the Counts of Provence. For almost a century, the most powerful lords of the Midi buried their remains here, transforming the nave into a dynastic stone book. Although the Revolution dispersed many of these recumbent figures, the atmosphere inside the church retains a gravity that recalls its princely funerary vocation. Entering the nave means experiencing the soft, filtered light that is characteristic of the Southern Gothic style, which favours narrow windows rather than the great northern stained glass windows. The slender pillars punctuate the space with sober elegance, and the whole exudes a serenity that contrasts with the bustle of the nearby Mazarin district, a masterpiece of classical 17th-century town planning. The attentive visitor will notice the quality of the sculpted capitals and the remains of the old painted decorations that once adorned the vaults. The flat chevet, typical of hospital buildings, and the finely-worked exterior buttresses deserve a long look before entering. Backed by the Musée Granet, the church forms an exceptional heritage ensemble that in itself sums up several centuries of Provençal history.
Architecture
Saint-Jean-de-Malte is considered to be the first Gothic building in Provence, and as such offers irreplaceable evidence of the spread of the Ogival style in the Mediterranean south. Its plan is that of a church with a single large nave, without an ambulatory, flanked by side chapels between the buttresses - a characteristic formula of the Southern Gothic style, which favours volumetric simplicity and structural robustness over the multiplication of side vessels. The chevet is flat, a tradition typical of hospital and Cistercian buildings. The interior elevation is impressive for its slenderness: the cross vaults fall on cylindrical pillars with capitals soberly sculpted with stylised foliage. The high, narrow windows with their Gothic infills diffuse a subdued light that accentuates the height of the nave and creates an atmosphere of contemplation that is particularly conducive to meditation. The materials used are typical of the region: light-coloured limestone from Provence, which takes on a warm golden hue under the southern sun. The most striking architectural feature is the octagonal bell tower, which rises to a height of around 67 metres. Its slender silhouette, punctuated by geminated bays with colonnettes and blind arcatures, betrays Lombard and Italian influences, reflecting the intense artistic exchanges between Angevin Provence and the transalpine courts in the 14th century. The side chapels contain altarpieces from the 17th and 18th centuries, evidence of the successive alterations that enriched the interior without betraying its original Gothic unity.
Related Figures
Charles Ier d'Anjou — roi de Naples et comte de Provence, protecteur de l'église et initiateur de sa vocation de nécropole comtaleRaymond Bérenger V — dernier grand comte de Provence de la maison barcelonaise, inhumé dans l'égliseCharles II d'Anjou — comte de Provence, dont les restes furent déposés à Saint-Jean-de-MalteMichel Mazarin — archevêque d'Aix, frère du cardinal, commanditaire du quartier Mazarin qui redéfinit le contexte urbain de l'église au XVIIe siècleFrançois-Marius Granet — peintre aixois du XIXe siècle dont le legs constitua les collections du musée voisin portant son nomChevaliers de l'Ordre de Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem — fondateurs et bâtisseurs de la commanderie et de l'église dès le XIIe siècle
