The Aix Guide · N° 03
The Cours Mirabeau, from ramparts to plane trees
More than forty metres wide, shaded by plane trees and punctuated by fountains, the Cours Mirabeau is the grand promenade of Aix. It was born from the demolition of the town walls in the mid-17th century.
At a glance
- Size
- About 440 m long and 42 m wide
- Created
- 1649–1651, on the site of the southern ramparts
- Its name
- Since a mayoral decree of 3 November 1876
- From La Mado
- About a 4-minute walk to the top of the Cours (King René fountain)
A promenade born from the ramparts
In the mid-17th century Aix expanded southwards. Between 1649 and 1651 a broad carriage avenue was laid out on the site of the old ramparts, at the wish of Archbishop Michel Mazarin, brother of the cardinal, and of the owners of the new district who wanted a promenade. The Cours became the place to be seen, taking over that role from Place des Prêcheurs.
Originally planted with elms, it received its plane trees in the 19th century. Only in 1876 did it take the name Cours Mirabeau, by a mayoral decree of 3 November, in honour of the revolutionary orator Honoré-Gabriel Riqueti de Mirabeau. The name therefore turns 150 in 2026; the Musée Paul Arbaud is holding an exhibition on Mirabeau and Aix until 27 March 2027.
The Cours divides two faces of the town: to the north, the old town and its shopping lanes; to the south, the Mazarin quarter, laid out on a grid from 1646 for the families of the Provence parliament.
Four fountains, end to end
The town itself calls Aix “the city of a thousand fountains” — a nickname rather than a count, recalling that it was born from its springs as the Roman Aquae Sextiae. There are four on the Cours. Starting from La Rotonde:
La Rotonde fountain
Some twelve metres high, it marks the western entrance to the Cours. It was built in 1860 to designs by the engineers Théophile de Tournadre and Sylvestre. Its three crowning statues, by Ramus, Chabaud and Ferrat, represent Justice (facing the Cours), Agriculture (facing Marseille) and the Fine Arts (facing Avignon). Water from the Verdon has fed it at full flow since 1875.
The Neuf-Canons fountain
Built in 1691 by Laurent Vallon in place of a drinking trough, it watered flocks moving to and from summer pastures — hence its low rim. Its nine flat spouts pour into a four-lobed basin.
The warm-water “Moussue” fountain
Covered in moss and limestone deposits, it is the only fountain on the Cours fed by thermal water. A first version was carved by Jacques Fossé in 1667; it received warm water from the Bagniers spring in 1759 and took its final form in 1760. On cold days you can sometimes see it steam.
The King René fountain
Designed in 1819 by the architect Pierre-Henri Révoil, it bears a statue by David d’Angers inaugurated in 1823. King René holds his sceptre and a bunch of muscat grapes, which he is said to have introduced to Provence. From here, Place des Prêcheurs is only a few minutes’ walk away.
The mansions
The south side of the Cours is lined with the town houses of Provence’s parliamentary families. A few addresses to look out for — look up at the doorways and balconies:
- Hôtel de Forbin, no. 20: built in 1656 to designs by Pierre Pavillon.
- Hôtel Maurel de Pontevès, also called d’Espagnet, no. 38: begun in 1647, now home to the Court of Appeal.
- Hôtel d’Arbaud-Jouques, no. 19: around 1700, with one of the most ornate carved walnut doors in town.
- Hôtel Isoard de Vauvenargues, no. 10: around 1710.
- At no. 55, the childhood home of Paul Cézanne, who was born and died in Aix.
How to stroll it
The nicest way is to walk up from La Rotonde to the King René fountain, on the shady side in summer. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings the Cours hosts textile and second-hand stalls; in the run-up to Christmas, the chalets of the Christmas market. See our guide to the markets.