Coll猫ge Mignet (Mignet College), Aix-en-Provence
Mignet College may sound like just another school, but dig a little deeper and you鈥檒l find layers of history thicker than a stack of report cards. It sits on Cardinal Street in Aix鈥檚 refined Mazarin district and owes its name to 19th-century historian Fran莽ois-Auguste Mignet.
Originally approved as a royal college in 1603 by King Henri IV, it started off under the scholarly gaze of the Jesuits. When they were disbanded in 1773, the Doctrinaire Fathers stepped in, until they too were shown the door during the Revolution. The curriculum changed, and so did the management鈥攎ore than once.
It reopened during the Napoleonic shuffle, briefly bore the monarchical badge as 鈥淏ourbon College,鈥� and eventually landed in city hands by 1878. By then, it had been housed in not one but two former convents鈥擝enedictine and Ursuline鈥攕titched together to form its current facade. That architectural patchwork still stands today, with parts declared historic monuments, including the Benedictine entrance and a grand staircase that probably saw more teenage drama than a school play.
As for the alumni list, it reads like a name-dropper鈥檚 dream. You鈥檝e got scientist Jean-Baptiste Baille, composer Darius Milhaud, literary giant Emile Zola, and of course, Paul C茅zanne鈥攚ho managed to graduate in 1858 with the teacherly praise of 鈥渜uite well.鈥� Zola and C茅zanne were such close friends back then, they were dubbed 鈥淭he Inseparables,鈥� though only one of them went on to revolutionize the art world.
So yes, it鈥檚 just a school building鈥攂ut one that鈥檚 quietly carried centuries of teaching, talent, and the occasional philosophical meltdown over final exams.
Originally approved as a royal college in 1603 by King Henri IV, it started off under the scholarly gaze of the Jesuits. When they were disbanded in 1773, the Doctrinaire Fathers stepped in, until they too were shown the door during the Revolution. The curriculum changed, and so did the management鈥攎ore than once.
It reopened during the Napoleonic shuffle, briefly bore the monarchical badge as 鈥淏ourbon College,鈥� and eventually landed in city hands by 1878. By then, it had been housed in not one but two former convents鈥擝enedictine and Ursuline鈥攕titched together to form its current facade. That architectural patchwork still stands today, with parts declared historic monuments, including the Benedictine entrance and a grand staircase that probably saw more teenage drama than a school play.
As for the alumni list, it reads like a name-dropper鈥檚 dream. You鈥檝e got scientist Jean-Baptiste Baille, composer Darius Milhaud, literary giant Emile Zola, and of course, Paul C茅zanne鈥攚ho managed to graduate in 1858 with the teacherly praise of 鈥渜uite well.鈥� Zola and C茅zanne were such close friends back then, they were dubbed 鈥淭he Inseparables,鈥� though only one of them went on to revolutionize the art world.
So yes, it鈥檚 just a school building鈥攂ut one that鈥檚 quietly carried centuries of teaching, talent, and the occasional philosophical meltdown over final exams.
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Coll猫ge Mignet (Mignet College) on Map
Sight Name: Coll猫ge Mignet (Mignet College)
Sight Location: Aix-en-Provence, France (See walking tours in Aix-en-Provence)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Aix-en-Provence, France (See walking tours in Aix-en-Provence)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Aix-en-Provence, France
Create Your Own Walk in Aix-en-Provence
Creating your own self-guided walk in Aix-en-Provence is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
In the Footsteps of Paul C茅zanne
Paul C茅zanne, often called the 鈥渇ather of modern art鈥� for bridging 19th-century post-impressionism and the birth of early modernism, caused a bit of a stir early in his career. While staying with Doctor Gachet in Auvers-sur-Oise, he painted his take on Manet鈥檚 Olympia鈥攂ut with a twist. Instead of just a reclining nude, C茅zanne inserted himself into the scene, back turned, like a shy... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Aix-en-Provence Fountains and Squares Tour
Aix-end-Provence is known for its fountains. With more than 1,000 fountains, a tourist could spend weeks walking around the city without glimpsing them all. The fountains began appearing under the Roman empire when the Romans discovered Aix's natural thermal water source. They referred to the area as Aquae Sextiae or the Waters of Sextius.
The fountains appear throughout the city and are... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
The fountains appear throughout the city and are... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Aix-en-Provence Introduction Walking Tour
Aix-en-Provence may not have coastal views, but it compensates in style with its Roman bathwater and city logistics. Founded in 123 BC by Roman consul Gaius Sextius Calvinus, this southern French settlement鈥攐riginally named Aquae Sextiae, which means 鈥淲aters of Sextius鈥濃�攚as built around its thermal springs and the promise of a good soak. Centuries later, the name was streamlined to... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles