Couvent des Prêcheurs, Historical convent in Aix-en-Provence, France

The Couvent des Prêcheurs is a former Dominican convent on the place des Prêcheurs in Aix-en-Provence. Its light beige stone facade, partly covered by climbing vines, has two round-arched doorways with moulded arches, rectangular shuttered windows above and a row of small windows under the roofline. A second facade shows a plain wing with tall grilled windows beside an ornate entrance framed by columns and a large arch, topped by statues in niches and two small domed bell towers.

The convent was founded between 1226 and 1277 on land given by the Count of Provence, and had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1383. These early events shaped the building structure, which was reshaped multiple times afterward.

The convent served as a religious center for centuries before shifting to educational purposes, shaping its role in the city's life. The building still carries traces of these different uses in its spaces today.

The former convent stands on the place des Prêcheurs, which takes its name from this Dominican house. The buildings themselves are unoccupied and closed after the schools left in 2015, but the cloister remains accessible to the public. The Ministry of Justice bought the site in 2021 for about 13 million euros.

The Jacqueline and Pablo Picasso museum project was discussed for four years before being abandoned in late 2020, after disagreements between the painter's heir and the city. The former convent was then put up for sale in March 2021 and bought by the Ministry of Justice for about 13 million euros, with the cloister to remain open to the public.