Town Hall and Former Market Halls

Here on one side, you’ve got Aubagne’s town hall, and right across from it, that striking red building that used to be the town’s hospice. It was demolished in 1908 to make way for the new structure you see now, which first served as a covered market, and later housed the justice of the peace, a local court created after the French Revolution to offer quicker and fairer justice for all. Look up and you’ll see an inscription at the top of the building, a lasting trace of its judicial past. Since 1974, it’s been used as an annex of the town hall, but it still showcases its original Art Nouveau architecture, complete with decorative tiles. Directly across the square, the main town hall features an Art Deco façade dating back to 1933. The town hall has stood here on Boulevard Jean Jaurès since 1828, at the very heart of Aubagne. But the town hall goes back much further. Aubagne has functioned as an independent commune since the 13th century, though that status only became official after the Revolution. Before that, it was run by a religious and political group called the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit, who made sure local lords respected the town’s rights and traditions. At the time, the council met beside Saint-Sauveur Church, later relocating to Rue du Four before finally settling here in 1828. Together, these two buildings form the historic and civic heart of Aubagne.