Aubagne Nativity Scene and Ceramics Market

The most beautiful nativity scene market in Provence

The Aubagne Nativity Scene and Ceramics Market is an institution of Provençal Christmas tradition. Since 1968, every year from mid-November to the end of December, the Cours Maréchal Foch, the main street of Aubagne's town center, is adorned with its finest decorations to welcome around forty nativity scene makers, crib creators, and ceramicists from the Aubagne and l'Étoile region. This unique market was voted the most beautiful nativity scene market in Provence by France Bleu Provence listeners in 2023, confirming its status as a benchmark in Provençal nativity scene art.

Aubagne, capital of clay and nativity scenes

Aubagne has a centuries-old relationship with clay. The town is recognized as the capital of ceramics and nativity scenes in Provence, an artisanal heritage passed down from generation to generation. The market brings together artisans from the Galerie Argilla and independent nativity scene makers from the Aubagne area, offering visitors a complete panorama of Provençal creation: hand-painted nativity figures, traditional and contemporary cribs, decorative ceramics, terracotta jewelry, and art objects. Each piece reflects the life of yesteryear and the emblematic characters of Provence.

A lively and festive market

Beyond the exhibition-sale, the Aubagne Nativity Scene Market offers a program of events throughout the period. The Nativity Scene Art Weekend is a highlight with modeling demonstrations, workshops for children, and musical entertainment celebrating the Provençal spirit of the holidays. Artisans open their temporary workshops to the curious, explaining ancestral manufacturing techniques: modeling, molding, firing, and painting of nativity figures. The market is part of the Féerie de Noël à Aubagne (Aubagne's Christmas Magic), a series of festivities including illuminations, shows, and a Christmas market.

A summer edition since 2025

In addition to the traditional winter market, the City of Aubagne launched a summer edition of the Ceramics and Nativity Scene Market in 2025, held from mid-July to the end of August on Cours Foch. This summer version allows tourists to discover Aubagne's craftsmanship during the tourist season, with special Friday evenings in August offering free demonstrations and introductory sessions by the artisans.

A heritage inscribed on the European Route of Ceramics

The city of Aubagne is part of the European Route of Ceramics, an international recognition of its ancestral know-how. The Nativity Scene Market contributes to the preservation and promotion of this living heritage by enabling artisans to make a living from their art and by passing on the passion for Provençal terracotta to new generations. The Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis actively supports this event, recognized as a major metropolitan event.