Often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains, Aix-en-Provence is a quaint Provencal town, 30 km north of Marseille.

For some reason, I have always imagined Aix-en-Provence as a secluded little town, a crossroads to some wuthering heights watching over the endless pastures around. Instead, we found a lively city, totally different from the Marseille we had visited the day before.

After less than an hour drive, we reached the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, deciding we should follow the sign for “Vieil Aix”. Thinking we still had a bit of driving to do, we missed some of the parking lots in the south side of the Old City until we decided to stop. A beautiful figure perching atop an ancient column saluted us just in time as we were about to drive another lap around Centre Ville. Showing the road to the Alps, the Bellegarde Fountain sits gracefully on the very site of an old city gate.

This was the first fountain we encountered, and little we knew why the city was nicknamed the city of a thousand fountains. The Roman consul Sextius Calvinus founded the city in 123 BC, and named it after his own name Aquae Sextiae, adding the word Aix, or Aquae (water) in Latin, due to the many springs and thermal waters in this area.

With over 2,000 years of history, the old town of Aix-en-Provence is a stunning place, with all its interesting buildings, the typical Provençal narrow streets, and especially the lovely fountains fed by the water springs, the symbol of the city itself.

But the empty streets, neglected buildings, and narrow streets and alleys were our first impressions. Ancient doors, and disheveled columns seem to beg in distress, as the old intricacies are wearing out along the limestone walls.

While we were wondering where everyone was, we just got at Rue Gaston de Saporta, and suddenly found a new and active town. With several historical buildings, and museums, but also with boutiques, and terraces, it’s no wonder why this street is very lively.

Built in 1650, Hôtel de Chateaurenard is famous for having hosted Louis XIV during his visit to Provence in 1660, and for the magnificent staircase and beautiful paintings that inspired him in his future reign. As new restoration is underway, an exhibition dedicated to the painter Jean Daret will be held in 2024, once the projects are completed.

Further down the street, we saw the Clock Tower in the distance. It was built in 1510, and the astronomical clock added later in 1661. There are also four wooden statues representing the four seasons, and few beautiful intricacies on the south side of the belfry. Built over a country town gate, the tower is the gateway to the village of Saint-Sauveur, and part of the ancient Roman city wall.

This tower reminded me of the clock tower from Sighisoara (Romania), Vlad Dracula’s hometown. Similar figurines representing the seasons, or the days of the week were very popular at that time.

Another imposing building, Hotel de Ville was built adjacent to the Tower. Some of the richly ornated facades can still be seen, the old thick walls, and doors.

While Place de l’Hôtel de Ville takes the honors, a lively place with terraces, chocolateries, and other goodies, a place where people are strolling around, indulging themselves in various activities, not little was my surprise, when, turning my head over the shoulder to catch one more glimpse of the plaza, I found everything still. Contrary to the minute before when everything was so lively, it seemed that suddenly, the time had stopped for a second, and everyone was standing still, no one moving a single muscle.

Only the water continued to flow from the Town Hall Fountain through the four pipes held by the bearded faces from all four corners of a Roman column. Built in 1756, the fountain’s water was brought from the Pinchinats spring, via the Roman aqueduct, a reminder that it was the Romans who brought water to Aix, and not only.

Passing by the farmer’s market, we found suddenly a funny sculpture. The Boar fountain (a bronze reinterpretation of an Italian Renaissance marble by Tacca) represents a boar whose snout serves as a cannon. Local legend says that rubbing an animal’s nose brings you good luck. We found this very funny, similar with another legend from a different continent. In Havana, Cuba, there was a famous character El Caballero de Paris whose beard was very shinny from how many people rubbed it for good luck.

Following our way towards Cours Maribeau there were more fountains. Not all of them are cared for, and many have accumulated calcium, moss, or rust such as the Fountain of Lights. No wonder why, as the fountain is fed with hot water from the Bagniers spring, and the mineral waters build easily such formations. As the summer of 2022 was one of the hottest and driest ever in France, several fountains didn’t work, obviously, but I’m sure they would be a real treat when functioning.

Replacing an old fountain of a pyramid destroyed during the Revolution, the white marble Fountain of King René watches over the Cours Mirabeau, one of the most popular and lively places in the city.

Person of many titles, René of Anjou, count of Provence and of Piedmont, known as René I, and also king of Naples from 1435 to 1442 has his own special place. As the last count of an independent Provence, he became very popular while spending his last years in Aix-en-Provence, reason he is known in France as the Good King René.

Erected in 1651, the Fountain of the 9 guns is composed of two superimposing basins. It was a drinking fountain for the sheep on their transhumance from Arles to the Alps. This fountain was also one of the last used for domestic purposes, and listed as a historical monument since 1929.

Our stroll along Cours Mirabeau ended at the Place du General de Gaulle, where The Fountain of the Rotunda is located. This is the largest of all fountains in Aix-en-Provence, with a height of 12 meters, and 2 large basins. It is richly decorated with lions, dolphins, swans and children, and the three statues surmounting it represent Justice, Agriculture, and Fine Arts.

You can’t really walk 2 blocks without finding a historical building, or some intricacies, and we were overwhelmed by everything. While North America boasts a history of few hundred of years, Europe, in particular Provence, possesses a history of more the 2,000 years.

Although most of the buildings have been restored over time, all of the adorning figures show an obvious sign of aging, nevertheless, they are not less impressing. The last, but not the least, one of the most important historical landmarks we visited in Provence, is the Cathedral Saint-Saveur.

This cathedral is built on the site of an ancient Roman forum from the 1^st century, and the legend says that was right on the foundations of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo. The cathedral evolved between the 5^th and 18^th centuries, reason the architectural styles vary a lot, from Romanesque, to Gothic, and Baroque.

The octagonal baptistery built at the end of the 6^th century is one of the rare antique baptisteries functioning in France, using the eight ancient granite and marble columns.

It was so hard to take us away from walking around this amazing city. The warm glow of the mid-day sunshine washed over us as we slowly made our way back to the parking lot. We had to say not necessarily good-by but rather see you soon, while we were driving to our next destination, Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.

Tip(s) of the day:

* This is one of the sunniest cities in France, don’t forget your water, hat and sunscreen;

*Getting a digital map of all the attractions you want to see can be very handy. You can easily get distracted and lost between the countless alleys and pathways;

* Aix is famous for being the hometown of 19th-century French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, and also home to Vasarely Foundation, the leader of the optical art movement, established in 1966.

~ visited in September 2022

If you like Provence, or France, you can check other posts of our ‘One week in Provence’.