aix en Provence
Town of water, town of art... Everyone knows that Aix was built and has developed around this dual identity. But the town also knows how to blend different eras and culture. Opened to the world, it is a city of human dimension where the preserved heritage and the city of tomorrow blend perfectly. Here, all is colour and sensation: the light of the sky, the golden stone of the facades, the transparent green of the fountains, the shade of the plane trees, surprises held by the festival nights... Aix en Provence gives you a warm welcome.
Some examples of tourist sites:
- The Old Town
- The Villeneuve quarter
- The Court Mirabeau
- The Mazarin quarter
- The Entremont Oppidum
- The Thermes Sextius
- The Cézanne Museum
- The Old Aix Museum
- The Tapestry Museum
- Le Pavillon de Vendôme
- The Vasarely Foundation
- De la Mignarde Castle
The Old Town
Composed of the Saint-Sauveur market town and the City of the Counts, it is the oldest part of the centre of Aix. Discover the Saint Sauveur Cathedral, the cloister and the famous Archbishop’s Palace built in 1730 which offers the possibility to see some art operas in its Tapestry Museum. Don’t miss the Comtale City, the Clock Tower, the Corn Exchange Building, the Albertas square and hotel and the Law Court.
The Villeneuve quarter
The Villeneuve Quarter opposites the Law Court and once the King’s gardens. This area underwent important urbanisation toward the close of the 16th century and now boasts mansions with richly decorated façades dating from 1590 to the end of the 17th century. In this part of the city, enjoy the Emeric David street and the opera street with their marvellous evidence of the past on the Hotel de Carcest, the Hotel de Maliverny and the hotel Grimaldi-Regusse.
The Court Mirabeau
You can’t come to Aix en Provence without visiting the Cours Mirabeau, a place of history and leisure, and always one of the liveliest areas. The ring road, built on the site of the former ramparts, circles the old town and separates it from the New City. Tunnel greenery punctuated with fountains, a historic landmark and a great place for a stroll, the Cours Mirabeau “is for visitors as it is for the Aixois, something that cannot be missed”. On the either side of the road built in the 17th century, the leading families of nobility built elegant homes to show off their success. With richly decorated frontages on the Cours side, and shared hidden gardens opening on the parallel street, this architectural style created remarkable urban unity. Enjoy the sight of beautiful architectural operas like the Hotel de Villars, the hotel Isoard de Vauvenargues, the Hotel de Forbin, the Hotel Maurel de Pontevés or the Hotel Poët.
The Mazarin Quarter
This grid pattern quarter was conceived in the 17th century by the archbishop Mazarin, the Cardinal’s brother. It is a truly luxury “housing estate” for parliament members and the bourgeoisie of the period organised around two principal axes: the Rue du Cardinal and the Rue du 4 Septembre. Have a walk and visit the Arbaud Museum with its important collection of provincial earthenware, numerous manuscripts and paintings.
The Entremont Oppidum
Occupied from the beginning of the 1st century B.C by the Celto-Ligurian tribe Salyens, the Entremont Oppidum looks from its triangular spur over the two great routes of Provence; from Italy to Spain and the other toward the Alps. The excavations carried out in 1946 revealed traces of a of a defended site (a rampart to the North of the plateau), and an advanced civilisation: shops, warehouses and workshops as well as a large building a type of shrine. The visit to Entremont merits a trip to the archaeological rooms of the Granet museum (town centre). You can admire the collections which originate from this site. Statues and bas-reliefs as well as impressive severed heads.
The Thermes Sextius
Preceded by a beautiful French garden, the most seductive of follies inherited from the 17th century, this was built in 1665 under order by Louis de Mercour, Duke of Vendôme. Constrained to stay within the limits of order it is said that it was built to house his love with Lucretia de Forbin Sollies, better known as the Beauty of Canet. The Pavilion later belonged to the painter Jean-Baptiste Van Loo who added a second floor without modifying the harmony of the ensemble. The main façade of the pavilion presents a rich sculpted ornamentation. Today it is a museum which houses a beautiful collection of regional furniture, paintings and fabrics from the 18th century.
The Cézanne studio
After the death of his mother and the seilling of their family house in Jas De Bouffran, Cézanne ordered the construction of a studio in the Chemin des Lauves in Aix en Provence. It’s in this room that he created some famous pieces of art like “Les Grandes Baigneuses”. Authentic place of art, it is today a museum witch tries to keep his souvenir alive.
The Vasarely Foundation
The building is a work of art in itself. Constructed in 1976 and inspired by Bauhaus architecture, it is formed of sixteen impressive hexagonal units.