Aix en Provence

Aix en Provence Travel Guide

• About

Aix en Provence With its historical façades, paved squares, meandering streets and thermal springs, Aix-en-Provence simply overflows with charm.Known as is the city of a thousand fountains, it’s with blessed backdrop of breathtaking mountains and countryside, and is home to some fantastic gastronomy.Thanks to its compact centre, this is a city that’s easily explored on foot. Head first to the main thoroughfare, Cours Mirabeau, a street lined with cafés, restaurants and elegant mansions, and shaded by rows of centuries-old plane trees. Sit down awhile at a terrace and watch life go by over a coffee.Three of the city’s more notable fountains are located on Cours Mirabeau. There’s a 19th-century work depicting King René holding the Muscat grapes he introduced to Provence in the 15th century; a natural hot spring covered in moss, dating back to Roman times; and the 1860 La Rotonde, beneath three giant statues representing art, justice and agriculture. But the most spectacular fountain of all is the 17th-century Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins (Fountain of the Four Dolphins) in the Quartier Mazarin.People have been flocking to Aix since Roman times to benefit from the restorative properties of its thermal waters. Past visitors have included such luminaries as Winston Churchill and Pablo Picasso.Today, the main draw for spa lovers is Thermes Sextius, in the heart of the old town, a modern bathing complex offering various therapies. In terms of art, Aix is inextricably linked with Paul Cézanne, the 19th-century post-impressionist painter who was born and schooled here. Throughout his life he was inspired by the nearby Sainte-Victoire mountains, which feature in many of this works. Today, you can pay homage by visiting his studio on the town’s northern outskirts.Aix is also a centre for the arts. Numerous festivals take place year-round, the two most famous being Musique dans la Rue, and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.Compact, well-preserved, and bathed in sunshine for much of the year, Aix makes an ideal base for exploring the delights of Provence.

• Aix en Provence History

Artistic Aix has come a long way from its Roman roots. Aix (Aquae Sextiae) was founded in 122BC by the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus. In 102BC it was the scene of the Battle of Aquae Sextiae when the Romans defeated the Cimbri and Teutones.In the fourth century AD Aix became Narbonensis Secunda, but successive invasions and attacks by the Visigoths, Lombards and Saracens wrecked the city.Aix didn’t reach its golden age until after the 12th century. In 1182, Aix became home to the Counts of Provence. The town developed around three main sites, the Palace of the Counts, the Saint-Sauveur Cathedral and several districts of artisans and merchants.From this period, the town has preserved its outer wall, which begins at the old Bourg Saint Sauveur. In 1409, Louis II of Anjou established the university.Under the reign of his son René (1409-1480), Aix became a centre for artistry. A year after René’s death, Provence was annexed by the Kingdom of France, though for two centuries the town refused to accept the monarchy’s centralist policies.In 1501 Louis XII established a parliament here, which existed until 1789.It was not until the reign of Louis XIV that this ‘rebellious’ town became a ‘court city’, organised around judiciary and religious power. Revitalized by social and urban development, Aix changed and expanded.From 1646 onwards, aristocrats, advisers, magistrates and notables left their homes in the medieval town to settle in the new Mazarin quarter.In 1650, the Parliament opened a street for horse-driven carts in place of the crumbled ramparts, which in the 19th century became the Cours Mirabeau. The richly adorned facades and gates of the mansions were a measure of the successes enjoyed by their owners.Since the mid-20th century, Aix has experienced an unprecedented demographic and economic boost, helped by the rejuvenation of the historic centre and a thriving cultural scene.

• Did you know?

Artist Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was born and died in Aix. The Festival d’Aix was first held in 1948. The city’s main library is housed in a former match factory.

• Weather in Aix en Provence

Thanks to its position in the south of France, Aix en Provence enjoys a warm climate with an average of 300 days of sunshine a year. January’s temperatures are typically around 5°C (41°F), while July temperatures average around 22°C (72°F).While it is partially protected from the Mistral, Aix does occasionally suffer from cold gusty conditions. Rainfall tends to be highest in October. In the mayhem of mid-summer, try and bag a hotel room as early as possible as thousands of holidaymakers arrive from the north of the country looking for some sunshine.