Le Jardin aux Etoiles
Riad between Agadir and Taroudant, in southern Morocco
Holiday rental with a resident of Swiss nationality
 Extraordinary stoneworkAccording to Berber tradition in the Anti-Atlas and Atlas regions. |  Coco PolizziThe late Beato Salvatore Polizzi, creator of the Medina that bears his name. |  Weaving and clothingAlas, the number of craftsmen has dwindled like snow in the sun... |  DaedaleUnique charm! |  Stunning architectureAll the beauty of stone. |  ArchwaysAn elaborate architectural design that conceals a number of artisan shops. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Roman-style theatreFor receptions, banquets and weddings. |
Coco Polizzi’s Medina in Agadir: a stone-built must-see
Destroyed during the earthquake of 1960, the medina of Agadir was replaced, on the other side of the city, in Bensergao, by a new and spectacular development, respecting the art of ancient stone developed in the Anti-Atlas and the Atlas. This must-have for any visit to Agadir is signed by the Italian-born architect Coco Polizzi, who unfortunately passed away in 2021. You can get there in about 45 minutes.
Sometimes criticized - wrongly - for being artificial, this place is actually magical, if only for the interest of its architecture and the fight led by the Sicilian and his daughters. The stones were meticulously installed, sometimes in a complex geometry, on rammed earth,as claimed by the Polizzi family.
An unfortunate quarrel
For years, financial disputes have unfortunately opposed the creator of this tastefully reconstructed complex and the local craftsmen who have set up pretty shops there, and some of whom work there.
This quarrel resulted in the many craftsmen melting away, to the benefit of the neighboring craftsmen's village ofKasbat Souss. Unfortunately, there are only less than twenty left, whose products are quite attractive. We appreciate the fixed prices, certainly slightly higher than those that can be obtained elsewhere, but which have the advantage of not giving rise to haggling.
Corollary to the decrease in the number of craftsmen, the crowd is not as dense as the medina deserves. The alleys are even sometimes almost deserted. Ah if all the craftsmen could join hands, find themselves on the same site and if the hatchet was buried inchallah!
Paid entry
The opening of the medina has experienced several long interruptions. Reviving for a time thanks to the pugnacity of Paola Polizzi and new investors, the Medina of Coco Polizzi cherished new projects. Since 2016, the Medina has hosted the International Arts and Culture Festival.
Alas, the Medina is difficult to make profitable, so much so thatthe judicial liquidation was pronounced at the end of 2017. A buyer with strong kidneys finally came forward: the Souss Massa Regional Tourism Development Company (SDRT), in public hands. Therefore, the future of the Medina is assured.
There is an entrance fee (40 dh, or 4€ per person). This tax is sometimes misunderstood. But when you imagine the cost of such a construction and its operation, you pay for it with understanding. Closed on Mondays.
Telephone contact: 05 28 28 02 53
The entrance fee is 40 dirhams (4 euros).
On the right, a preserved shop. In the middle, an archway beneath an inhabited quarter.
A pleasant place, in addition to the restaurant located further into the medina.
This is the closing night of the Timitar Festival 2010.
And a few shops that still remain, like the one on the right.
The creator of the new medina of Agadir, who passed away in 2021
Dignes de l'art romain, comme à Volubilis.
Delighted by this visit, their numbers are growing.
Typical of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, and whose shape can be seen on the facades of the Jardin aux Etoiles.
The medina requires ongoing care.
