La Partie de Cartes (The Card Game)

The sculpture of the card game, in Toulon

The sculpture of the card game represents, life-size, the famous scene of César and Panisse, heroes of the work of Marcel Pagnol. The Toulon audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this delicious tribute to Provençal culture and to cinema, which amuses the passers-by.

The tribute to Pagnol and to Provence

This fine life-size statue, called the sculpture of the card game, represents César and Panisse, two emblematic characters of the work of Marcel Pagnol, the famous Provençal writer and filmmaker. The scene puts into images one of the most famous of French theatre and cinema: the card game of the play Marius, where César tries to cheat at the game under the gaze of his companions, in a delicious verbal joust become cult. Through this sculpted group, installed in the middle of the street, the town pays tribute to Pagnol, to the southern verve, to the singing accent and to all this Provençal art of living made of conviviality, of pastis on the terrace and of good-natured bickering. The characters, caught in their pose, seem ready to resume their game, and invite the passers-by to sit among them for a photo. This sculpture full of humour and tenderness has become a prized place and a nod to the cultural identity of the region. A cultural tribute and a picturesque scene, the sculpture of the card game is an amusing stop of the discovery of Toulon.

What to see

You admire the life-size sculpted group representing César and Panisse, emblematic characters of Marcel Pagnol, in the famous card game scene of Marius, a tribute full of humour to the southern verve and the Provençal art of living, installed in the middle of the street, where the passers-by can sit among the characters for a photo. The sculpture of the card game is a cultural nod of Toulon. It is an amusing stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The sculpture of the card game is in the middle of the street, in the centre of Toulon, reachable on foot. It is an open-air work, freely accessible; you can sit among the characters for a photo. You discover it during a walk in the town.

What does the sculpture of the card game represent in Toulon?

It represents, life-size, César and Panisse, emblematic characters of Marcel Pagnol, in the famous card game scene of the play Marius where César tries to cheat; it is a tribute full of humour to the southern verve and the Provençal art of living, installed in the middle of the street.

Where is the sculpture of the card game in Toulon?

In the middle of the street, in the centre of Toulon, in France.