About

Close to the old port, the Musee du Santon has on display miniature cribs, representing the manger and nativity scene with small figurines, as well as artefacts and accessories that belong to the Provençal tradition. Modelling techniques are also explained, as well as firing the figures in the kiln and the art of painting them. With nearly 1000 exhibits, the museum provides a playful way of exploring this ancestral art. A history of Marseilles and Provence in miniature. Admission is free.

The "Maison Diamantée" is a 16th-century house in a prestigious position at the heart of the Old-Port quarter, along with the Hotel de Ville. This museum has a relief model of Old Marseilles from 1848, sections of 18th-century Provençal furniture and objects, and a section of 19th-century paintings and costumes. At the end of the 19th-c, a group of Marsellais, "Lou Cremascle" (la crémaillère,which is the rod for hanging the cooking pot inside the fireplace, and a symbol of the home) collected around the kitchen of fishermen rare and ancient objects, symbols of Provencal life and traditions. There's also a very large collection of santons from 1830 to the early 1900s.

Open: June-Sept, 11h-18h; Oct-May, 10h-17h

Entry: about 2€, Sunday mornings free

Transportation: Metro: Vieux-Port; Bus 83, 49B