Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in

Mistralian norm The Mistralian norm is a linguistic norm for the Occitan language. It was first used in a published work by Joseph Roumanille in 1853, and then by Frédéric Mistral in 1854. Its aim is to make Provençal Occitan orthography more logical, relying ...

, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and commune in

southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', A ...

, about north of

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

. A former capital of

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bo ...

, it is the

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...

of the

arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence The arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence is an Arrondissements of France, arrondissement of France in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. It has 48 Communes of France, c ...

, in the department of

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and ...

, in the region of

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pre ...

. The population of Aix-en-Provence is approximately 145,000. Its inhabitants are called ''Aixois'' or, less commonly, ''Aquisextains''.

History

Aix (''Aquae Sextiae'') was founded in 123 BC by the

Roman consul A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...

Sextius Calvinus, who gave his name to its springs, following the destruction of the nearby Gallic

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...

at Entremont. In 102 BC its vicinity was the scene of the

Battle of Aquae Sextiae The Battle of Aquae Sextiae (Aix-en-Provence) took place in 102 BC. After a string of Roman defeats (see: the Battle of Noreia, the Battle of Burdigala, and the Battle of Arausio), the Romans under Gaius Marius finally defeated the Teutones and ...

, where the Romans under

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...

defeated the

Ambrones The Ambrones ( grc, Ἄμβρωνες) were an ancient tribe mentioned by Roman authors. They are generally believed to have been a Germanic tribe from Jutland. In the late 2nd century BC, along with the fellow Cimbri and Teutons, the Ambrone ...

and

Teutones The Teutons ( la, Teutones, , grc, Τεύτονες) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with t ...

, with mass suicides among the captured women, which passed into Roman legends of Germanic heroism. In the 4th century AD it became the metropolis of Narbonensis Secunda. It was occupied by the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is k ...

in 477. In the succeeding century, the town was repeatedly plundered by the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...

and

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

, and was occupied by the

Saracens upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...

in 731 and by

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...

in 737. Aix, which during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

was the capital of

, did not reach its zenith until after the 12th century, when, under the houses of Barcelona/Aragon and

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...

, it became an artistic centre and seat of learning. Aix passed to the crown of France with the rest of Provence in 1487, and in 1501

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

established there the parliament of Provence, which existed until 1789. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the town was the seat of the Intendance of Provence. Current archeological excavations in the Ville des Tours, a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...

of Aix, have unearthed the remains of a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

. A deposit of fossil bones from the Upper Continental Miocene gave rise to a Christian dragon legend.

Geography and climate

Aix-en-Provence is situated in the south of France, in a plain overlooking the Arc river, about from the right bank of the river. The city slopes gently from north to south and the Montagne Sainte-Victoire can easily be seen to the east. Aix's position in the south of France gives it a warm climate, though more extreme than

due to the inland location. It has an average January temperature of and a July average of . It has an average of 300 days of sunshine and only 91 days of rain. While it is partially protected from the Mistral, Aix still occasionally experiences the cooler and gusty conditions it brings. Like most of the south of France, Aix-en-Provence has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

( Köppen Csa).

Sights

The

Cours Mirabeau The Cours Mirabeau is a wide thoroughfare in Aix-en-Provence, France. Overview 440 meters long and 42 meters wide, the Cours Mirabeau is one of the most popular and lively places in the town. It is lined with many cafés, one of the most famous ...

is a wide thoroughfare, planted with double rows of plane trees, bordered by fine houses and decorated by fountains. It follows the line of the old city wall, and divides the town into two sections. The new town extends to the south and west; the old town, with its narrow, irregular streets, and its old mansions dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, lies to the north. Situated on this avenue, which is lined on one side with banks and on the other with cafés, is the Deux Garçons, the most famous

brasserie In France, Flanders, and the Francophone world, a brasserie () is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word ''brasserie'' is also French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the br ...

in Aix. Built in 1792, it was frequented by the likes of

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically d ...

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

and

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...

. On 01/12/2019 Les Deux Garçons was devastated by a fire that engulfed the entire building, leaving the much loved establishment just a shell. The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour ( Aix Cathedral) is situated to the north in the

part of Aix. Built on the site of a former

Roman forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum ( plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancie ...

and an adjacent basilica, it contains a mixture of all styles from the 5th to the 17th century, including a richly decorated portal in the

Gothic style Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

with doors elaborately carved in

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

. The interior contains 16th-century tapestries, a 15th-century

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

depicting King René and his wife on the side panels, as well as a

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gaul ...

baptistery In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptism ...

, its

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

dome supported by original Roman columns. The archbishop's palace (Palais de l'Archêveché) and a Romanesque

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against ...

adjoin the cathedral on its south side. The

Archbishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

of Aix is now shared with

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province ...

Among its other public institutions, Aix also has the second most important

Appeal Court A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

(Palais de Justice) outside of Paris, located near the site of the former Palace of the Counts (Palais des Comtes) of

. The Aix-en-Provence Town Hall (''Hôtel de Ville''), a building in the classical style of the middle of the 17th century, looks onto a picturesque square (Place de l'Hôtel de Ville). It contains some fine woodwork and tapestries. At its side rises a handsome clock-tower, erected in 1510. Also on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is the former Corn Exchange (1759–1761) (Halle de Grains). This ornately decorated 18th-century building was designed by the Vallon brothers. Nearby are the remarkable thermal springs, containing lime and carbonic acid, that first drew the Romans to Aix and gave it the name ''Aquae Sextiae''. A spa was built in 1705 near the remains of the

ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–50 ...

baths of Sextius. South of the Cours Mirabeau is the Quartier Mazarin. This residential district was constructed for the gentry of Aix by

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...

Michele Mazzarino brother of

Cardinal Jules Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis XIV ...

in the last half of the 17th century and contains several notable ''hôtels particuliers''. The 13th-century

church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

contains valuable pictures and a recently restored organ. Next to it is the Musée Granet, devoted to European painting and sculpture. Aix is often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains. Among the most notable are the 17th-century Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins (Fountain of the Four Dolphins) in the Quartier Mazarin, designed by Jean-Claude Rambot, and three of the fountains down the central Cours Mirabeau: at the top, a 19th-century fountain depicts the "good king"

René René (''born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name (Renée being the feminin ...

holding the Muscat grapes that he introduced to

in the 15th century; halfway down is a natural hot water fountain (34 °C), covered in moss, dating back to the Romans; and at the bottom, at la Rotonde, the hub of modern Aix, stands a monumental fountain from 1860 beneath three giant statues representing art, justice and agriculture. In the older part of Aix, there are also fountains of note in the Place d'Albertas and the Place des Trois-Ormeaux. Aix the birthplace of Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne. A walking trail links sites including his childhood home, Jas de Bouffan, and his former studio, Atelier Cézanne. The white limestone mountain Sainte-Victoire overlooks the city and was a frequent subject of Cézanne’s works.

Education

Aix-en-Provence Institut etudes politiques 20061227

Aix has long been a university town:

Louis II of Anjou Louis II (5 October 1377 – 29 April 1417) was Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence from 1384 to 1417; he claimed the Kingdom of Naples, but only ruled parts of the kingdom from 1390 to 1399. His father, Louis I of Anjouthe founder of the House ...

granted a

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...

for a university in 1409. Today Aix-en-Provence remains an important educational centre, with many teaching and research institutes: *

Arts et Métiers ParisTech Arts et Métiers ParisTech is a French engineering and research institute of higher education. It is a '' grande école'', recognized for leading in the fields of mechanics and industrialization. Founded in 1780, it is among the oldest French in ...

, an engineering graduate school that settled a campus in the city in 1843. This teaching and research center (CER) let the students attend courses focused on industrial and mechanical engineering. *

Aix-Marseille University Aix-Marseille University (AMU; french: Aix-Marseille Université; formally incorporated as ''Université d'Aix-Marseille'') is a public research university located in the Provence region of southern France. It was founded in 1409 when Louis II o ...

, consisting of the faculty and former campuses of: ** Université de Provence Aix-Marseille I, specialising in the humanities. **

Université de la Méditerranée Aix-Marseille II The University of the Mediterranean Aix-Marseille II was a French university in the Academy of Aix and Marseille. Historically, it was part of the University of Aix-Marseille based across the communes of Aix-en-Provence and Marseille in southe ...

, specialising in economics. ** Université Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille III, specialising principally in law, economics, political science and administration. *

Institut d'études politiques d'Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

(IEP) is part of France’s network of political studies universities, often referred to as “Sciences Po”. * Institut de l'Aménagement Régional, an institute in the Université Paul Cézanne for town and country planning. * The American College of the Mediterranean (ACM), an American-style degree-granting institution with programs in art, art history, business, communication, French language and culture, international relations, psychology and many others. ACM also includes a study abroad institute for undergraduates,

IAU College IAU (IAU, French: Institut Américain Universitaire) is an American institution of higher learning located in southern France. Its main campus is in Aix-en-Provence, France, and offers satellite programs in Spain, Morocco, and the United King ...

. Aix also has several training collèges, lycées, and a college of art and design. It has also become a centre for many international study programmes. Several lycées offer CPGE.

Culture

Music

Aix holds two significant musical events each year. These are:

Festival d'Aix-en-Provence

An important opera festival, the '' Festival international d'Art Lyrique'', founded in 1948, now ranks with those in

Bayreuth Bayreuth (, ; bar, Bareid) is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtelgebirge Mountains. The town's roots date back to 1194. In the 21st century, it is the capital o ...

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

and

Glyndebourne Glyndebourne () is an English country house, the site of an opera house that, since 1934, has been the venue for the annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The house, located near Lewes in East Sussex, England, is thought to be about six hun ...

. The director until 2018 was

Bernard Foccroulle Bernard Charles M. E. T. H. Foccroulle (born 23 November 1953) is a Belgian organist, composer, conductor and opera director. Biography He was born in Liège and studied at the Conservatoire de Liège. Initially, he became known as a member o ...

, organist and director of la Monnaie in Brussels. The festival takes place in late June and July each year. The main venues in Aix itself are the outdoor Théâtre de l'Archévêché in the former garden of the archbishop's palace, the recently restored 18th-century Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, and the newly built

Grand Théâtre de Provence The Grand Théâtre de Provence (GTP) is a venue located in the new Aix-en-Provence in district "Sextius Mirabeau". A symbol of the Aix region was used for the design of the volumes of this room: the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, recalled in particul ...

; operas are also staged in the outdoor Théâtre du Grand Saint-Jean outside Aix. Linked to the festival is the Académie européenne de musique, a summer school for young musicians with master classes by celebrated artists. Over the four-year period from 2006 until 2009, Sir Simon Rattle's version of

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

's Ring Cycle with the

Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

was performed at the Aix festival. The current director of the festival is Pierre Audi.

Musique dans la Rue

This takes place each year in June to coincide with the national '

Fête de la Musique The Fête de la Musique, also known in English as Music Day, Make Music Day or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day, citizens and residents are urged to play music outside in their neighborho ...

.' There is a week of classical, jazz, and popular concerts held in different street venues and courtyards in the city. Some of these events are held in the Conservatoire

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

, named in honour of the French composer, a native of Aix.

Dance

The dance company ''Ballet Preljocaj'' of the French dancer and choreographer

Angelin Preljocaj Angelin Preljocaj (; born 19 January 1957) is a French dancer and choreographer of contemporary dance. Early life Angelin Preljocaj was born in 1957 in Sucy-en-Brie, France. He is of Albanian descent. Career His choreographic work is steeped ...

has been located in Aix since 1996. In 2007 it took up residence in the Pavillon Noir, a centre for dance performance, designed in 1999 by the architect

Rudy Ricciotti Rudy Ricciotti (born 22 August 1952) is a French architect and publisher.Lanie GoodmanGround Breaker ''The New York Times'', September 17, 2012

. The centre is one of nineteen of its kind in France, designated ''Centre chorégraphique national''.

European Capital of Culture

Aix-en-Provence was part of

Marseille-Provence 2013 Marseille-Provence 2013 or MP2013 was the year-long series of cultural events that took place in Marseille, France, and the surrounding area to celebrate the territory's designation as the European Capital of Culture for 2013. In total, there w ...

, the year-long cultural festival when the region served as the European Capital of Culture. Aix hosted several major cultural events including one half of the Grand Atelier du Midi gala exhibition and an episode of the Révélations pyrotechnical performance. The city also unveiled major new cultural infrastructure to coincide with Marseille-Provence 2013, including the Darius Milhaud Conservatory designed by Kengo Kuma.

Museums and libraries

François Marius Granet - La récolte des citrouilles à la Bastide de Malvalat

Aix has several museums and galleries: *Le Musée du Vieil Aix (Museum of Old Aix), housed in two period "hôtels particuliers" and devoted to the history and provencal heritage of Aix. *Le Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum). *Le Musée de Tapisseries (Tapestry Museum), housed in the Archbishop's Palace and with a collection of tapestries and furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries. *Le Musée Paul Arbaud (Faïence/Pottery). *Le Musée Granet, a museum devoted to painting, sculpture and the archeology of Aix. It recently underwent significant restoration and reorganization, prior to the international exhibition in 2006 marking the centenary of Cézanne's death. Due to lack of space, the large archeological collection, including many recent discoveries, will be displayed in a new museum, still in the planning stages. The museum contains major paintings by

Jean-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassical painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy against the a ...

(among which the monumental "

Jupiter and Thetis ''Jupiter and Thetis'' is an 1811 painting by the French neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, in the Musée Granet, Aix-en-Provence, France. Painted when the artist was yet 31, the work severely and pointedly contrasts the grande ...

"), an authentic self-portrait by

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally cons ...

, and works by

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh ...

Alberto Giacometti Alberto Giacometti (, , ; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman and printmaker. Beginning in 1922, he lived and worked mainly in Paris but regularly visited his hometown Borgonovo to see his family and ...

and Nicolas de Staël. In June 2011, the first part of the collection of the ''Fondation Jean et Suzanne Planque'' opened at the Musée Granet, containing over 180 artworks. This legacy of the Swiss painter, dealer and art collector Jean Planque, a personal friend of

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

, has been donated to the city for an initial period of 15 years. The collection contains over 300 works of art, including paintings and drawings by

Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is espec ...

Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Re ...

Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fro ...

, Monet, Cézanne,

Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

, Picasso,

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (; 3 October 186723 January 1947) was a French painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color. A founding member of the Post-Impressionist grou ...

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented ...

Fernand Léger Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as " tubism") which he gradually modified into a more figurative, p ...

, Giacometti and Dubuffet. The full collection will be housed in a specially constructed annex in the ''Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs'', situated nearby: the expected opening is in 2013. *Le Pavillon de Vendôme, a 17th-century mansion housing permanent and touring art exhibitions. *The Fondation Vasarely, a gallery dedicated to the works of the Hungarian-born French

abstract painter Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th ...

Victor Vasarely Victor Vasarely (; born Győző Vásárhelyi, ; 9 April 1906 – 15 March 1997) was a Hungarian-French artist, who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the Op art movement. His work entitled ''Zebra'', created in 1937, is consid ...

. *Le Camp des Milles * L'atelier Cézanne, the former studio of Paul Cézanne, now a museum, located in the northern outskirts of Aix. It has been preserved as it was at the time of the painter's death and contains many of his personal items and props used in his paintings. *Jas de Bouffan, the house and grounds of Cézanne's father, now partially open to the public. Prior to 1989 Aix had several libraries, for example in the Parc Jourdan and the Town Hall. In 1989, many of these were moved to the Méjanes, an old match factory. In 1993, the "Cité du Livre" was opened around the library. This has media spaces for dance, cinema and music, and a training facility for librarians. Adjacent to the Cité du Livre are the Grand Théâtre de Provence and the Pavillon Noir (see above).

Montagne Sainte-Victoire

To the east of Aix rises Montagne Sainte-Victoire (), one of the landmarks of the Pays d'Aix. It is accessible from the centre of Aix by road or on foot, taking the wooded footpath of Escrachou Pevou to the

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

of Bibemus. It dramatically overshadows the small dam built by

's father and was a favourite subject and haunt of

throughout his lifetime. In the village of

Le Tholonet Le Tholonet (; ''Lou Toulounet'' and ''Lo Tolonet'' in Provençal) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Tholonétiens''. Geography The commune is near Aix-en-Provence, and at the fo ...

on the precipitous southern side of Mont Sainte-Victoire, there is a

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some ...

that he used, and beyond that a mountain hut, the ''refuge Cézanne'', where he liked to paint. To the north, the mountain slopes gently down through woodland to the village of Vauvenargues. The

Château of Vauvenargues The Château of Vauvenargues (french: Château de Vauvenargues) is a fortified bastide in the village of Vauvenargues, situated to the north of Montagne Sainte-Victoire, just outside the town of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. Built on a ...

overlooking the village was formerly occupied by the

counts of Provence The land of Provence has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe. Its independent existence has its origins in the frontier nature of the dukedom in Merovingian Gaul. In this position, influenced and affected by ...

(including René of Anjou) and the Archbishops of Aix before it became the family home of the marquis de Vauvenargues. It was acquired by the Spanish artist

in 1958, who was resident there from 1959 until 1962, when he moved to

Mougins Mougins (; oc, Mogins ; la, Muginum ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 19,982. It is located on the heights of Cannes, in the a ...

. He and his wife Jacqueline are buried in its grounds, which are not usually open to the public. From 2009 onwards, the château, which now belongs to Jacqueline's daughter Catherine Hutin, has been open to the public from June to September. Mont Sainte-Victoire has a complex network of paths, leading to the priory and ''Croix de Provence'' at the summit, to the large man-made reservoir of Bimont and to the

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...

above le Tholonet.

Sport

*Association football is represented in the city by Pays d'Aix Football Club, until 2014 known as AS Aix-en-Provence. Their best result was playing in French Division 1 in the 1967–68 season, but recent years see the team playing in amateur levels of the French football league system. *Rugby union club Provence Rugby (previously known as Aix Rugby Club and Pays d'Aix Rugby Club) is based in the city. , they play in

Rugby Pro D2 Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was in ...

, the second-tier French league. * Pays d'Aix Université Club Handball is a handball club competing in the top-level French First League of Handball. *American football team Les Argonautes Aix-en-Provence has won the top-level

Ligue Élite de Football Américain The Championnat Élite Division 1 () is the top-level American football league of France. The league was founded in 1982. History American football was introduced to France in the early 20th century, but for decades it remained an infrequent ac ...

a total of eight times and is one of the most successful teams in the country. They were finalist of the 1996 Eurobowl. *The city hosts a professional tennis tournament on the

ATP Challenger Tour The ATP Challenger Tour, known until the end of 2008 as the ATP Challenger Series, is a series of international men's professional tennis tournaments. The Challenger Tour events are the second-highest tier of tennis competition, behind the ATP T ...

. It is held every May at the Country Club Aixois. *Former world number one squash player

Grégory Gaultier Grégory Gaultier (born 23 December 1982, in Épinal, France) is a former professional squash player from France. He has won the 2015 World Open Squash Championship, the British Open three times, in 2007, 2014 and 2017, the Qatar Classic in 20 ...

lives in Aix-en-Provence. *The city hosted Ukraine's football base camp during

Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...

. *The city holds a junior

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

World Cup event for men's foil in January of each year. Local fencer

Erwann Le Péchoux Erwann Le Péchoux (born 13 January 1982) is a French left-handed foil fencer. Le Péchoux is a four-time team European champion and four-time team world champion. A five-time Olympian, Le Péchoux is a 2016 team Olympic silver medalist and 202 ...

was part of the team that won the gold medal in men's team foil at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Economy

Industries formerly included flour-milling, the manufacture of confectionery, iron-ware, hats, matches and the extraction of

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

. Current economic activities include: * Tourism. * Entertainment, particularly opera and dance. * The

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity falls as its temperature rises; metals behave in the opposite way ...

and

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

industry in Rousset, to the south of Mont Ste.-Victoire, specializing in

microchip An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Large numbers of tiny ...

technology for

credit card A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the ...

s. * Education and research. In Aix the

University of Aix-Marseille Aix-Marseille University (AMU; french: Aix-Marseille Université; formally incorporated as ''Université d'Aix-Marseille'') is a public research university located in the Provence region of southern France. It was founded in 1409 when Louis II of ...

specializes in the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at t ...

, law and economics. * The computer software industry. * The manufacture of santons, traditional hand-crafted figurines, often associated with provencal Christmas creches. * The manufacture of

. * The manufacture of '' calissons'', a lozenge-shaped confection made from

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genu ...

s, orange peel, sugar, and crystallized melon. Each year in early September, there is a mass in French and Provençal in the

church of St Jean de Malte to bless the calissons – '' la bénédiction des calissons''. This ceremony has been held since the 17th century to mark the deliverance of Aix from the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

. It is currently accompanied by a colourful provencal pageant, involving most of the local calisson manufacturers and their wares. About calissons, Provençal novelist

Marcel Pagnol Marcel Paul Pagnol (; 28 February 1895 – 18 April 1974) was a French novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Regarded as an auteur, in 1946, he became the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française. Although his work is less fashionabl ...

wrote that, to make true calissons "You need one-third almonds, one-third fruit confits, one-third sugar, and a quarter savoir faire''.'' *

Viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, r ...

: the local

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bo ...

Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOC Provence (Provençal) wine comes from the French wine-producing region of Provence in southeast France. The Romans called the area ''provincia nostra'' ("our province"), giving the region its name. Just south of the Alps, it was the first Roman p ...

, with many vineyards between Aix and the River Durance to the north. The reputed appellation of

Palette AOC Palette is a small French wine AOC in the Provence region of southern France, near Aix-en-Provence. The AOC was established in 1948. The grapes for this AOC are grown in Aix-en-Provence, Meyreuil, and Le Tholonet. The hamlet of Palette, which ...

is represented by the estates of Château Simone in

Meyreuil Meyreuil (; oc, Mairuelh) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France, about from Aix en Provence. Geography Located from Aix-en-Provence, the commune of Meyreuil is sheltered in the northeast by the mountain Mon ...

and Château Crémade in

, to the east of Aix. There is a fair of local wine producers every year on the last Sunday in July on the

. Grape varieties include

grenache Grenache () or Garnacha () is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world.Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' p. 25, JP Bøger – JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. . It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditio ...

syrah Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse ...

cabernet sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon ...

, and notably vermentino. * Chocolate: the well known Chocolaterie de

Puyricard Puyricard ( Provençal Occitan: ''Puegricard'' in classical norm) is an agglomeration in the Bouches-du-Rhône ''département'' in Provence in the south of France, dependent on the town of Aix-en-Provence, which is approximately 10 km to th ...

is situated in the hills to the north of Aix. * Saffron: The Safranière de Provence is an organic saffron producer situated near Aix-en-Provence. The airline Twin Jet has its head office in Aix-en-Provence. From 1990 to 2000, criminal organizations established complex

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...

rings in

extending to

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille ...

and the greater

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...

. Since 2002, ''Le Milieu'' is known for, in addition to its extortion rings, large

counterfeit To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...

ing and white-collar crime operations. Due to increased financial regulation, ''Le Milieu'' has collectively pushed to integrate their crime profits into the legal economy.

Demographics

Politics

The current mayor of Aix-en-Provence is Sophie Joissains, elected on September 24, 2021. Presidential Elections Second Round:

Transport

A set of ancient roads radiate out from Aix to the surrounding countryside, the Pays d'Aix. There are also a large number of modern autoroutes connecting Aix to nearby towns. There are autoroutes northwards to Avignon and to the

Luberon The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from w ...

; southwards to

; and eastwards to

Aubagne Aubagne (, ''Aubanha'' in Occitan according to the classic norm or ''Aubagno'' according to the Mistralian norm) is a commune in the southern French department of Bouches-du-Rhône. In 2018, it had a population of 47,208. Its inhabitants are k ...

and the Mediterranean coast of Provence; and to

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...

and other towns on the

. Aix and Marseille are equidistant from the Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) at

Marignane Marignane (; oc, Marinhana) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. Geography It is a component of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, and the largest suburb of the ...

on the

Étang de Berre The Étang de Berre (in Provençal Occitan: ''estanh de Bèrra / mar de Bèrra'' according to classical orthography, ''estang de Berro / mar de Berro'' according to Mistralian orthography) is a brackish water lagoon on the Mediterranean coast ...

which features domestic and international scheduled passenger service. There is another airport at Les Milles, which is mostly used by general aviation. There is a frequent bus shuttle service from the main bus station in Aix which also serves the nearby TGV station at l'Arbois, in the middle of the countryside about from Aix. At Aix, the line from Paris branches to Marseille and Nice; it takes about 3 hours to get from Paris to Aix by TGV. Aix also has a railway station near the centre, Gare d'Aix-en-Provence, with connections to Marseille, Pertuis and

Briançon Briançon (, ) is the sole subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an altitude of , based on the national definition as a community cont ...

in the

French Alps The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as ...

. A frequent and rapid shuttle bus service for commuters operates between the bus station in Aix and Marseille. There are many other long distance and local buses from the bus station. The city also offers a "city pass" available in 24, 48, and 72-hour packages for visiting tourists. The "pass tourisitque" is offered at the Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office, the Atelier de Cézanne, and the official Aix tourism website. In the town itself, there is an inexpensive municipal bus service, including a dial-a-bus service ("proxibus"), a

park-and-ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system (rap ...

service and tiny electrified buses for those with mobility problems – these are six-seater vehicles that circulate at a speed of . The central old town of Aix is for the most part pedestrianised. There are large underground and overground parking structures placed at regular intervals on the "boulevard exterieur", the predominantly one-way

ring road A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...

that encircles the old town. Access to the old town is by a series of often narrow one-way streets that can be confusing to navigate for the uninitiated. As well as overland routes, two "rivers" flow through Aix, the Arc and the Torse, but neither of which can remotely be described as navigable.

Miscellaneous

2016 Aix-en-Provence - Le cours Mirabeau

The local Aix dialect, rarely used and spoken by a rapidly decreasing number of people, is part of the provencal dialect of the Occitan language. The provencal for "Aix-en-Provence" is "Ais de Prouvènço" . Most of the older streets in Aix have names in both Provençal and French. Aix hosted the ninth International Congress of Modern Architecture in 1953. Aix is the home town of the

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

team Provence Rugby. It played host to the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...

during the early stages of the

2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...

. ''

Ysabel ''Ysabel'' is a fantasy novel by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay. It was first published in January 2007 by Viking Canada. It is Kay's first urban fantasy and his first book set outside his fantasied Europe milieux since the publication of his ...

'', the tenth novel of the best-selling Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, was set and written in Aix. Italian electroacoustic artist Giuseppe Ielasi's album Aix was produced in Aix-en-Provence, hence the title. This is also the site of an alleged sighting and landing of a UFO in 1981 that is taken seriously by

GEIPAN GEIPAN (an acronym for ''Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés'', or unidentified aerospace phenomenon research and information group). (), its name since September 2005. (The group was formerly know ...

, the department within the French Space Agency responsible for investigating aerospace phenomena.

Twin towns – sister cities

Aix-en-Provence is twinned with: *

Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border wit ...

, Israel (1995) *

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, England, United Kingdom (1977) *

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...

, Tunisia (1993) *

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...

, Portugal (1982) *

Granada Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...

, Spain (1979) *

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part ...

, Italy (1970) *

Tübingen Tübingen (, , Swabian: ''Dibenga'') is a traditional university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer rivers. about one in three ...

, Germany (1960)

Friendship and cooperation

Aix-en-Provence also cooperates with: *

Baalbek Baalbek (; ar, بَعْلَبَكّ, Baʿlabakk, Syriac-Aramaic: ܒܥܠܒܟ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In Greek and Roman ...

, Lebanon (2003) *

Bamako Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on the Niger Rive ...

, Mali (2003) *

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counti ...

, United States (1999) * Coral Gables, United States (1997) *

Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...

, Japan (2013) *

Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...

, Morocco (1998) *

Pécs Pécs ( , ; hr, Pečuh; german: Fünfkirchen, ; also known by other #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the countr ...

, Hungary (2011) *

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, United States (1998)

Notable people

Eleanor of Provence Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was a French noblewoman who became Queen of England as the wife of King Henry III from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served as regent of England during the absence of her spouse in 1253. A ...

(died 1291), queen consort of King

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry ...

Charles Annibal Fabrot Charles Annibal Fabrot (15 September 1580 – 16 January 1659) was a French jurisconsult. Biography He was born in Aix-en-Provence. At an early age he made great progress in the ancient languages and in the civil and the Canon law, and in 1602 h ...

(1580–1659), jurist * David-Augustin de Brueys (1640–1723), theologian and playwright * Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708), botanist *

André Campra André Campra (; baptized 4 December 1660 – 29 June 1744) was a French composer and conductor of the Baroque era. The leading French opera composer in the period between Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, Campra wrote several '' tr ...

(1660–1744), composer and conductor *

Jean-Baptiste van Loo Jean-Baptiste van Loo (14 January 1684 – 19 December 1745) was a French subject and portrait painter. Life and career He was born in Aix-en-Provence, and was instructed in art by his father Louis-Abraham van Loo, son of Jacob van Loo. Ha ...

(1684–1745), painter *

Laurent Belissen Laurent Belissen (also ''Bellissen''; 8 August 1693 – 12 February 1762) was a French Baroque composer. He was born in Aix-en-Provence and may have been among the last students of Guillaume Poitevin, then ''maître de musique'' at the choir school ...

(1693–1762), composer *

Joseph Lieutaud Joseph Lieutaud (21 June 1703 – 6 December 1780) was a French physician. Biography Early life Joseph Lieutaud was born on 21 June 1703 at 31 Rue Cardinale in Aix-en-Provence. His father was Jean-Baptiste Lieutaud, a lawyer, and his mother, L ...

(1703–1780), doctor to

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (; 6 August 1715 – 28 May 1747) was a French writer and moralist. He died at age 31, in broken health, having published the year prior—anonymously—a collection of essays and aphorisms with the en ...

(1715–1747), writer and

moralist Moralism is any philosophy with the central focus of applying moral judgements. The term is commonly used as a pejorative to mean "being overly concerned with making moral judgments or being illiberal in the judgments one makes". Moralism has s ...

* Joseph Sec (1715–1794), carpenter and architect * Jean-François Pierre Peyron (1744–1814), painter *

Jean-Baptiste Giraud Jean-Baptiste Giraud (1752 – 14 February 1830) was a French sculptor.François Miel, Notice sur les deux Giraud, sculpteurs français, Paris, Société libre des beaux-arts, s.d. (1840; in French) Biography Giraud was born in Aix-en-Prove ...

(1752–1830), sculptor * Toussaint-Bernard Éméric-David (1755–1839), archeologist and arts writer * Antoine Balthazar Joachim d'André (1759–1825), member of the National Constituent Assembly of 1789 * François Marius Granet (1775–1849), painter * Charles-Joseph-Eugene de Mazenod (1782–1861),

bishop of Marseille The Archdiocese of Marseille (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Massiliensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Marseille'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France.

and founder of the

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, ...

Eliza Courtney Elizabeth Courtney (20 February 1792 – 2 May 1859) was the illegitimate daughter of the Whig politician and future Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, and socialite Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, while Georgiana was married t ...

(1792–1859), illegitimate daughter of the Prime Minister

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (13 March 1764 – 17 July 1845), known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was a British Whig politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834. He was a member of the no ...

and Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire * François Mignet (1796–1884), historian * François Vincent Latil (1796–1890), painter * Achille Emperaire (1829–1898), painter *

François Vidal François Vidal (14 July 1832 – 25 May 1911) was a French Provençal poet and activist. Early life François Vidal was born on 14 July 1832. Career François Vidal was one of the first Provençal activists to join the Félibrige. He had a deep ...

(1832–1911), Occitan poet and activist *

(1839–1906), painter *

Philippe Solari Philippe Solari (2 May 1840 in Aix-en-Provence – 20 January 1906 in Aix-en-Provence) was a provencal sculptor, of Italian origin, a contemporary and friend of Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola. He acquired French nationality in 1870. Youth Bo ...

(1840–1906), sculptor *

Baptistin Baille Baptistin Baille was born as Jean-Baptiste Baille in France, in 1841 and he died in 1918. He was a professor of optics and acoustics at the École de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles in Paris and a close friend of Paul Cézanne, the impressioni ...

(1841–1918), professor of

optics Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultrav ...

and

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acousticia ...

* Maurice Rouvier (1842–1911), politician *

Alfred Capus Alfred Capus (25 November 18581 November 1922) was a French journalist and playwright, who was born in Aix-en-Provence and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Biography Son of a lawyer from Marseille, Alfred Capus went to university in Toulon. After fail ...

(1858–1922), journalist and playwright * Henri Brémond (1864–1933), theologian *

Armand Lunel Armand Lunel (9 June 1892 – 3 November 1977) was a French writer and the last known speaker of Shuadit (Judeo-Provençal), a now-extinct Occitan language (in its written form based on the modified Hebrew alphabet; the language persists though ...

(1892–1977), last known speaker of

Shuadit Shuadit (also spelled ''Chouhadite'', ''Chouhadit'', ''Chouadite'', ''Chouadit'', and ''Shuhadit''), also called Judæo-Occitan or less accurately Judæo-Provençal or Judæo-Comtadin, is an extinct Occitan dialect historically spoken by Frenc ...

Paul Veyne Paul Veyne (; 13 June 1930 – 29 September 2022) was a French archaeologist and historian, and a specialist of Ancient Rome. A student of the École Normale Supérieure and member of the École française de Rome, he was honorary professor at ...

(born 1930), historian and archeologist *

Jacques Pellegrin Jacques Pellegrin (12 June 1873, Paris – 12 August 1944) was a French zoologist. In Paris, he worked under zoologist Léon Vaillant (chair of reptiles and fishes) at the '' Muséum national d'histoire naturelle''. From 1897, Pellegrin serve ...

(born 1944), painter *

Henri Michel Henri Louis Michel (28 October 1947 – 24 April 2018) was a French football player and coach. He played as a midfielder for Nantes and the France national team, and later went on to coach various clubs and national teams all over the worl ...

(1947–2018), football player and coach * Didier Delsalle (born 1957), pilot * Frédéric Fekkai (born 1958), celebrity hairstylist * Tristan-Patrice Challulau (born 1959), classical composer * Jean-Paul Delfino (born 1964), writer * Julia Zemiro (born 1967), Australian television presenter and actress * Hélène Grimaud (born 1969), concert pianist * Franck Cammas (born 1972), yachtsman *

Norodom Rattana Devi Norodom Rattana Devi (, born 18 June 1974) is a Cambodian princess and politician. She is the only daughter of Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Princess Norodom Marie. She belongs to FUNCINPEC and was elected to represent Kratie Province in the Nati ...

(born 1974), Cambodian princess * Marc Béziat (born 1975), music composer * Arnaud Clément (born 1977), tennis player *

Célimène Daudet Célimène Daudet (born in 1977) is a contemporary French classical pianist. Biography Born in Aix-en-Provence to a French father and a Haitian mother, Daudet began her training at the Aix-en-Provence Conservatory with Michel Bourdoncle. She the ...

(born 1977), classical pianist *

Mylène Jampanoï Mylène Jampanoï (born Lena Jam-Panoï; 12 July 1980) is a French actress, model, and visual artist. Her first leading role was in the drama film '' The Chinese Botanist's Daughters'' (2006). She subsequently garnered international attention f ...

(born 1980), actress * Ouissem Belgacem (born 1988), former football player, writer *

Paris Laxmi Myriam Sophia Lakshmi Quinio (born 16 July 1991), known professionally as Paris Laxmi is a dancer and actress born in France and settled in Kerala, India. With her husband Kathakali dancer Pallippuram Sunil, she runs the Kalashakti School of Ar ...

(born 1991), Indian dancer

Notable residents

* Maximinus of Aix, saint, first bishop of Aix, who according to provencal tradition evangelised Aix with

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurre ...

Saint Mitre Mitre (433–466) was a Catholic saint, who was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, and died in Aix-en-Provence. Biography According to the legend,martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

, died here and his

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

are preserved in the Cathedral * René of Anjou (1409–1480), Duke of Anjou, Count of Provence * Barthélemy d'Eyck (c. 1420 – after 1470), painter *

Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1 December 1580 – 24 June 1637), often known simply as Peiresc, or by the Latin form of his name, Peirescius, was a French astronomer, antiquary and savant, who maintained a wide correspondence with scientis ...

(1580–1637), scientist best known for his correspondence * Jean Daret (1613–1668), painter, died here *

Pierre Joseph Garidel Pierre Joseph Garidel (1 August 1658 – 6 June 1737) was a French botanist. Early life Pierre-Joseph Garidel was born on 1 August 1658 in Manosque. His father was Pierre Garidel, a lawyer, and his mother, Louise de Barthelemy. He studied Medicine ...

(1658–1737), botanist *

Claude Arnulphy Claude Arnulphy (1697 - 22 June 1786), also spelt Arnulphi, was a French painter, chiefly of portraits, based at Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. Early life Arnulphy is claimed to have been born either at Grenoble or at Lyons, but Aix i ...

(1697–1786), painter * Jean-Baptiste Marie de Piquet, Marquis of Méjanes (1729–1786), who bequeathed to the town his collection of between 60 and 80 thousand books, which later became the municipal library, the Bibliothèque Méjanes * Jean de Dieu-Raymond de Cucé de Boisgelin (1732–1804), Archbishop of Aix *

Victor d'Hupay Joseph Alexandre Victor d'Hupay (1746–1818) was a French writer and philosopher. He is known for being perhaps the first writer to use the term ''communism'' in its modern sense. He wished to transform the ideals of the Enlightenment philosopher ...

(1746–1818), writer and philosopher *

Jean-Antoine Constantin Jean-Antoine Constantin (January 1756 - 9 January 1844) was a French painter. Biography Born in the vicinity of the Loubière, in Marseille, Jean-Antoine Constantin studied at the Academy of Painting in Marseille under the tutelage of Jean-Jose ...

(1756–1844), painter * Antoine de L'Hoyer (1768–1852), composer, guitarist and soldier * Ambroise Roux-Alphéran (1776–1858), clerk of court and historian *

(1840–1902), novelist, spent his childhood here *

Joseph Ravaisou Joseph Ravaisou (11 November 1865 – 22 December 1925) was a French landscape painter. Ravaisou was born in Bandol, Var. In 1878 he moved to Aix-en-Provence to work as a school teacher, and subsequently became a music conductor and a music ...

(1865–1925), painter, died here * Louise Germain (1874–1939), painter, died here *

Joseph d'Arbaud Joseph d'Arbaud (4 October 1874 – 2 March 1950) was a French poet and writer from Provence. He was a leading figure in the Provençal Revival, a literary movement of the nineteenth century. Biography Early life Joseph d'Arbaud was born in an ...

(1874–1950), poet, died here *

(1892–1984), composer and teacher * Roland de Pury (1907–1979), Swiss minister, died here *

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...

(1933–2003), American singer, songwriter, pianist, civil rights activist, lived here in 1993–2003 *

Christophe Rousset Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and European music of the 17th and 1 ...

(born 1961), conductor and harpsichordist, grew up here *

Charles Trenet Louis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet (; 18 May 1913 – 19 February 2001) was a renowned French singer-songwriter who composed both the music and the lyrics to nearly a thousand songs over a career that lasted more than 60 years. These include ...

(1942–2001), poet, painter and singer, wrote several evergreens here *

(born 1982), 2015 squash world champion

Gallery

File:Aix-en-Provence Thermes Sextius 2 20061227.jpg, Medieval town wall near Roman baths File:Aix-en-Provence-Fountain-Oct-2001.jpeg, Place des Tanneurs File:Aix-en-Provence Rene Ier de Naples 4 20061227.jpg, Statue of le Roi René File:Aix - le roi René.jpg, Detail of le Roi René File:Aix-en-Provence Fontaine des Quatre-Dauphins 20061227.jpg, Place des Quatre Dauphins, towards the Boulevard extérieur File:Aix-en-Provence Musee des tapisseries 2 20061227.jpg, The archbishop's palace, opera house and tapestry museum File:Aix-en-Provence Hotel de ville 2 20061227.jpg, Clock tower, Hotel de Ville File:Aix-en-Provence Hotel de ville 3 20061227.jpg, Detail of mechanical clock File:Aix-en-Provence Bureau de Poste 20061227.jpg, Bureau de Poste File:Dome-Saint-Sauveur-Aix.jpg, Aix Cathedral, Dome File:Aix-en-Provence Cathedrale Saint-Sauveur 1 20061227.jpg, Aix Cathedral File:Aix-en-Provence Saint-Jean-de-Malte 1 20061227.jpg, St Jean de Malte, rue Cardinale File:Aix-en-Provence Eglise de la Madeleine 20061227.jpg, Église de la Madeleine, place des Precheurs File:Paul Cézanne 079.jpg, Jas de Bouffan, Paul Cézanne File:Paul Cézanne 083.jpg, Jas de Bouffan, Paul Cézanne File:Pavillon de Vendome Aix-en-Provence 01.jpg, The Pavillon Vendôme File:Aix-en-Provence Publicite murale 20061227.jpg, Mural advertisement File:Atlante-Aix-license.jpg,

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geogra ...

on a doorway in Aix File:Place-Albertas-Aix.jpg, The place d'Albertas File:Fontaine-Albertas.jpg, Fountain in the place d'Albertas File:Aix-en-Provence Hotel Estienne de Saint-Jean 20061227.jpg, Door carving in Aix File:Clock-Precheurs-Aix.jpg, Mechanical clock, place des Precheurs File:Marche-Richelme-Aix.jpg, Daily vegetable market, place Richelme File:Provence - Confiseries.jpg, Provençal confectionery File:Les-Fontetes-Aix.jpg, Baroque fountain in Aix File:Holiday home, Provence, France (6052487203).jpg, Provençal House File:Aix - marché traditionnel .jpg, Provençal market File:Aix-en-Provence-Les-Bains-Oct-2001.jpeg, The modern spa in Aix File:Fondation Vasarely, Aix-en-Provence.jpg, The Vasarely Foundation File:Aix-en-Provence 2013.JPG, Rue des Cordeliers File:Aix-en-Provence-Place de la Mairie.jpg, alt=Flower market on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville and the Clock Tower in Aix-en-Provence., Flower market on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville and the Clock Tower in Aix-en-Provence. File:Cezanne casa Aix-en-Provence.jpg, alt=House where painter Paul Cézanne died in 1906 in Aix-en-Provence, House where painter Paul Cézanne died in 1906 in Aix-en-Provence

Notes

Explanatory footnotes

References

* ;Attribution *

Bibliography

External links

Aix en Provence Tourist office website

Official site of the town Aix-en-Provence
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aixenprovence Landforms of Bouches-du-Rhône Communes of Bouches-du-Rhône Subprefectures in France 123 BC 120s BC establishments Spa towns in France Populated places established in the 2nd century BC Roman sites in Provence Salyes Cities in France