The city of a thousand fountains and Cézanne's obsession — where the Cours Mirabeau's plane trees shelter the finest café terrace in Provence, every other street ends at a Renaissance fountain, and the silhouette of Mont Sainte-Victoire on the eastern horizon explains why Cézanne painted it more than 80 times
Aix-en-Provence (145,000) in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is a university city of remarkable elegance — over 100 named fountains punctuate the old town, the Cours Mirabeau (17th century) is one of the most beautiful promenades in southern France, and the city moves at the leisurely pace of its twice-daily outdoor markets at Place Richelme and Place des Prêcheurs. Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) was born and died here; his Atelier des Lascaux studio and the Carrières de Bibemus quarry (where he painted geometric rock forms that directly prefigured Cubism) are preserved as museums. The International Fes…
Aquae Sextiae was founded as a Roman colony in 122 BCE by the consul Gaius Sextius Calvinus after his victory over the Salyens — one of the first Roman settlements in Transalpine Gaul and the source of the city's name ('Aix' from Aquae, 'waters'). The city grew around its thermal springs and served as the capital of Roman Provincia Narbonensis. Aix became the capital of the County of Provence in the 12th century and reached its cultural peak under René I of Anjou (Good King René, reigned 1434–1480), who brought Italian Renaissance artists, cultivated troubadour traditions, and is still celebr…