Published on Tuesday 9th of February 2016 by Valerie

A bit of French conversation about Aix-en-Provence

As the French Ignition trip to Aix-en-Provence is approaching, how about finding out a bit more about the place? Let’s start with a bit of geography and history. Aix-en-Provence is 33km from Marseille and surrounded by the Trevaresse mountain range in the West and the famous montagne Sainte Victoire in the east, immortalised by Cezanne’s painting. Various rivers cross the region from West to East which has earned Aix-en-Provence its reputation as a thermal resort. Like many place in the south, one of the main advantages (especially if you’re from Glasgow!) is the climate: An average of 300 days of sunshine per year! We’ll just have to hope that our French conversation will not be dampened by one of the 65 days of rain but our chances are very good.

The town itself was founded in 122BC by the Roman consul Gaius Sextius Calvinus and given the name ‘Aquae Sextiae’ (Sextus’ waters). The town is then referred to as ‘Aquis in Provincia’ in 1250, hence the current name of the town officially attributed by President Paul Doumer in 1932. The town has suffered from a turbulent history of which I will spare you the detail. Suffice to say that it was occupied by the Wisigoths, then invaded by by the Francs, the Lombards and the Sarrasins. In 1189, the Dukes of Anjou and Aragon chose the city of Aix as their main residence, thus giving the town a much needed economic boost and a newly found status of capital city of Provence. Unsurprisingly, Aix-en-Provence is still a living testimony to its rich history which spreads across centuries.

If history is your thing, and even if it’s not, Aix-en-Provence won’t disappoint you. There are three distinct historical zones in the town: Quartier Mazarin, Cours Mirabeau and the old town itself. The old part of the town is essentially medieval with its narrow streets, uneven buildings and no less than 101 fountains! Let’s not forget several historical buildings such as the Saint-Sauveur church and the Archbishop palace. The quartier Mazarin is in the centre of Aix and was designed in the seventeenth century on the initiative of Archbishop Michel Mazarin. The quartier contains a large number of hôtels particuliers originally built for the nobility and wealthy merchant class. The Cours Mirabeau is a direct consequence of Archbishop Mazarin’s plans to extend the town. As his initial project involved a partial destruction of the fortified walls, wealthy people who lived closest to the walls found themselves in an open space impracticable and inundated with intense sunshine. Not too much of an issue if you ask me, but nevertheless they demanded that a passage be built dedicated to leisurely walks and easy passage for carriages. Very quickly, this became a favourite place for the nobility to stroll around, throw sumptuous parties and show off their wealth. To this day, Cours Mirabeau is a very animated part of town with shops, cafes, cinemas, etc. whilst still preserving its history with statues, hotels particuliers and a few fountains to admire. One of the most peculiar one is the ‘Fontaine du Cours’ which is alimented by a hot spring and gives out naturally hot water. In winter, you can actually see the team due to the difference of temperature between the water and the air.

Our little tour of Aix wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of its famous inhabitants: Paul Cezanne and Emile Zola and the unmissable ‘calissons d’Aix’, a sweet delicacy that you just have to try!