Ateliers Marcel Carbonel occupy rue Neuve Sainte-Catherine, in the 7th arrondissement, a few streets from the Vieux-Port and the Saint-Victor abbey. The house brings together its production workshops and its shop at this address. It states that the workshops are open to visits from Monday to Thursday, and that these take place by appointment only, which keeps the experience away from tourist flows and makes it workable for a small group.
The guided visit follows the making of a santon as the workshop itself describes it: moulding, firing, the preparation of the colours, and the painting. Access to the shop completes the route. The Provencal santon is an object of popular tradition rather than luxury, and that is exactly what makes it an interesting counterpoint to a Marseille call: a living craft, still practised in a working workshop, within walking distance of the water.
Other experiences in Vieux-Port de Marseille
At Le Puy-Sainte-Reparade, a biodynamic wine estate where Jean Nouvel's cellar and a contemporary art trail answer one another.
Food & VineyardsLe Petit Nice Passedat, the table above the coveAbove the anse de Maldorme, below the corniche Kennedy, a Marseille house whose dining room and terrace can be hired for small groups.
Shopping & CraftsmanshipSavonnerie Fer a Cheval, cauldron-made soapA Marseille soap works active since 1856, listed as a Historic Monument, which receives constituted groups at its Sainte-Marthe site.
Culture & HeritageHotel de Caumont, the privatised town houseA town house in Aix-en-Provence's Mazarin quarter whose salons, auditorium and formal gardens can be hired once the site closes to the public.
Culture & HeritageFondation Vasarely, the privatised alveoliVictor Vasarely's architectonic centre in Aix-en-Provence opens its seven monumental alveoli and its three-hectare grounds to private hire.