Editing Aix-en-Provence

{{short description|City and commune in Southern France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Aix-en-Provence
|native name        = {{native name|oc|Ais de Provença}}
|commune status     = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image              = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| perrow = 2/1/2
| total_width = 290
| align = center
| caption_align = center
| image1             = Aix en Provence - panoramio (1).jpg
| caption1           = [[Aix Cathedral]]
| image2             = Place d'Albertas.jpg
| caption2           = {{ill|Place d'Albertas|fr|Place d'Albertas}}
| image3             = Aix-en-Provence - Pavillon Vendôme.jpg
| caption3           = [[Pavillon Vendôme]]
| image4             = 2016 Aix-en-Provence - Hôtel de ville.jpg
| caption4           = [[Hôtel de Ville, Aix-en-Provence|Hôtel de Ville]]
| image5             = France-002438 - Cours Mirabeau Fountain (15867627856).jpg
| caption5           = [[Fontaine de la Rotonde]]
}}
|caption            = 
|image flag         = Flag of Aix-en-Provence.svg
|image coat of arms = Escut de Ais de Provença.svg
|coordinates        = {{coord|43.526304|5.445429|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|arrondissement     = Aix-en-Provence
|canton             = [[Cantons of Aix-en-Provence|Aix-en-Provence 1<br />Aix-en-Provence 2]]
|INSEE              = 13001
|postal code        = 13100, 13090
|mayor              = [[Sophie Joissains]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=4 May 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2021&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = [[Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis|Aix-Marseille-Provence]]
|elevation m        = 173
|elevation min m    =
|elevation max m    =
|area km2           = 186.083
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|demonym=''Aixois'', ''Aquisextain'', ''Aquisestain'' (masculine)<br>''Aixoise'', ''Aquisextaine'', ''Aquisestaine'' (feminine)
|website                = [https://www.aixenprovence.fr/ aixenprovence.fr]
}}

'''Aix-en-Provence''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|UK|ˌ|ɛ|k|s|_|ɒ̃|_|p|r|ɒ|ˈ|v|ɒ̃|s}},<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Aix-en-Provence |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182301/https://www.lexico.com/definition/aix-en-provence |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=Aix-en-Provence |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|US|ˌ|eɪ|k|s|_|ɒ̃|_|p|r|oʊ|ˈ|v|ɒ̃|s|,_|ˌ|ɛ|k|s|_|-}},<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Aix-en-Provence|access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Aix-en-Provence|access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|ɛks ɑ̃ pʁɔvɑ̃s|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Jules78120-Aix-en-Provence.wav}}; {{langx|oc|label=[[Provençal dialect|Provençal]]|Ais de Provença}} in classical norm, or {{lang|oc|Ais de Prouvènço}} in [[Mistralian norm]], {{IPA|oc|ˈajz de pʀuˈvɛnsɔ|pron}}}} or simply '''Aix''', is a [[List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants|city]] and [[Communes of France|commune]] in [[southern France]], about {{convert|30|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} north of [[Marseille]]. A former capital of [[Provence]], it is the [[Subprefectures in France|subprefecture]] of the [[arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence]], in the department of [[Bouches-du-Rhône]], in the region of [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]. The population of Aix-en-Provence is approximately 145,000. Its inhabitants are called ''Aixois'' or, less commonly, ''Aquisextains''.

==History==

{{see also|Timeline of Aix-en-Provence}}
{{For|the ecclesiastical history|Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aix}}
[[File:Aix (52402216).jpeg|thumb|Rue Espariat in November 2013]]

Aix (''Aquae Sextiae'') was founded in 123 BC by the [[Roman consul]] [[Gaius Sextius Calvinus|Sextius Calvinus]], who gave his name to its springs, following the destruction of the nearby [[Gauls|Gallic]] [[oppidum]] at [[Entremont (oppidum)|Entremont]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=447}}<ref>[http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/aix-histoire.htm « Histoire d'Aix »] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104035151/http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/aix-histoire.htm |date=4 November 2013 }}, site de l'office du tourisme d'Aix-en-Provence.</ref> In 102 BC its vicinity was the scene of the [[Battle of Aquae Sextiae]], where the Romans under [[Gaius Marius]] defeated the [[Ambrones]] and [[Teutones]],{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=447}} with mass suicides among the captured women, which passed into Roman legends of [[Magna Germania|Germanic]] heroism.<ref>cf [[Jerome]], letter cxxiii, [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.v.CXXIII.html To Ageruchia], 8, 409 A.D.</ref>

In the 4th century AD it became the metropolis of [[Narbonensis Secunda]]. It was occupied by the [[Visigoths]] in 477. In the succeeding century, the town was repeatedly plundered by the [[Franks]] and [[Lombards]], and was occupied by the [[Saracens]] in 731 and by [[Charles Martel]] in 737. Aix, which during the [[Middle Ages]] was the capital of [[Provence]], did not reach its zenith until after the 12th century, when, under the houses of [[House of Barcelona|Barcelona/Aragon]] and [[County of Anjou|Anjou]], it became an artistic centre and seat of learning.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=447}}

Aix passed to the crown of France with the rest of Provence in 1487, and in 1501 [[Louis XII of France|Louis XII]] 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.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=447}} Current archeological excavations in the Ville des Tours, a [[medieval]] [[faubourg|suburb]] of Aix, have unearthed the remains of a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[amphitheatre]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mairie-aixenprovence.fr/SEDS|title=La Seds|date=23 April 2009|website=Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence|language=fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004161222/http://www.mairie-aixenprovence.fr/SEDS |archive-date= Oct 4, 2022 }}</ref> A deposit of fossil bones from the Upper Continental Miocene gave rise to a Christian dragon legend.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Alfred |last1=de Grazia |first2=Ami |last2=de Grazia |url=http://www.q-mag.org/the-dragon-at-the-bus-stop.html |title=The Dragon at the bus-stop |publisher=Q-mag.org |date= |accessdate=2021-11-19}}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
Aix-en-Provence is situated in the south of France, in a plain overlooking the [[Arc (Provence)|Arc]] river, about {{convert|1|mi|km|round=0.5|order=flip}} 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 [[The weather in Marseille|Marseille]] due to the inland location. It has an average January temperature of {{convert|6|°C|F|0|abbr=on|lk=out}} and a July average of {{convert|24|°C|F|0|abbr=on|lk=out}}. It has an average of 300 days of sunshine and only 58 days of rain.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/uk/aix-en-provence.htm |title=Tourist office; the climate of Aix |publisher=Aixenprovencetourism.com |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210024749/http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/uk/aix-en-provence.htm |archive-date=10 February 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> While it is partially protected from the [[Mistral (wind)|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]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] Csa).

{{Weather box|location = Aix-en-Provence (1991–2020, extremes 1955–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 20.9
|Feb record high C = 22.8
|Mar record high C = 25.6
|Apr record high C = 28.9
|May record high C = 34.2
|Jun record high C = 42.0
|Jul record high C = 40.2
|Aug record high C = 40.1
|Sep record high C = 35.1
|Oct record high C = 31.4
|Nov record high C = 24.7
|Dec record high C = 22.7
|year record high C = 42.0
|Jan high C = 11.8
|Feb high C = 12.8
|Mar high C = 16.3
|Apr high C = 19.1
|May high C = 23.4
|Jun high C = 27.9
|Jul high C = 31.0
|Aug high C = 30.8
|Sep high C = 25.9
|Oct high C = 21.0
|Nov high C = 15.4
|Dec high C = 12.2
|year high C = 20.6
|Jan mean C = 6.7
|Feb mean C = 7.2
|Mar mean C = 10.3
|Apr mean C = 13.1
|May mean C = 17.2
|Jun mean C = 21.3
|Jul mean C = 24.0
|Aug mean C = 23.8
|Sep mean C = 19.6
|Oct mean C = 15.7
|Nov mean C = 10.5
|Dec mean C = 7.3
|year mean C = 14.7
|Jan low C = 1.6
|Feb low C = 1.5
|Mar low C = 4.3
|Apr low C = 7.1
|May low C = 11.0
|Jun low C = 14.7
|Jul low C = 17.0
|Aug low C = 16.8
|Sep low C = 13.4
|Oct low C = 10.3
|Nov low C = 5.5
|Dec low C = 2.4
|year low C = 8.8
|Jan record low C = −16.6
|Feb record low C = −20.2
|Mar record low C = −12.5
|Apr record low C = −4.0
|May record low C = −1.1
|Jun record low C = 3.2
|Jul record low C = 6.0
|Aug record low C = 4.0
|Sep record low C = 1.7
|Oct record low C = −4.7
|Nov record low C = −9.0
|Dec record low C = −14.9
|year record low C = −20.2
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 52.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 35.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 33.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 58.4
|May precipitation mm = 47.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 36.4
|Jul precipitation mm = 15.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 33.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 88.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 77.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 78.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 51.0
|year precipitation mm = 608.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.5
|Feb precipitation days = 4.6
|Mar precipitation days = 4.8
|Apr precipitation days = 6.5
|May precipitation days = 5.3
|Jun precipitation days = 3.4
|Jul precipitation days = 2.0
|Aug precipitation days = 2.8
|Sep precipitation days = 5.2
|Oct precipitation days = 6.0
|Nov precipitation days = 7.5
|Dec precipitation days = 5.2
|year precipitation days = 58.9
|Jan sun = 150.8
|Feb sun = 176.7
|Mar sun = 233.4
|Apr sun = 244.3
|May sun = 296.6
|Jun sun = 330.7
|Jul sun = 370.0
|Aug sun = 331.6
|Sep sun = 256.5
|Oct sun = 189.5
|Nov sun = 152.4
|Dec sun = 140.9
|year sun = 2873.2
|source 1 = [[Météo France]]<ref>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180330023102/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_13001009.pdf
| archive-date = 30 March 2018
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_13001009.pdf
| title = Aix en Provence (13)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 30 June 2024}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==Sights==
[[File:Narrow streets of Aix en Provence 2.jpg|thumb|right|The narrow streets of Aix]]

[[File:Aix- café des deux garçons.jpg|thumb|left|''Les Deux Garçons'']]
[[File:Aix - cloître St Sauveur.JPG|thumb|left|The Cathedral Cloisters]]
The [[Cours Mirabeau]] is a wide thoroughfare, planted with double rows of [[Platanus|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 Aix. Built in 1792, it was frequented by the likes of [[Paul Cézanne]], [[Émile Zola]] and [[Ernest Hemingway]].<ref>{{Cite book|first=Claude-Alain|last=Sarre|title=Les Deux Garçons. Quatre Siècles d'Histoire au Coeur d'Aix-en-Provence.|year=2007|publisher=Université Aix|isbn=978-2-903449-92-6}}</ref> On 3 November 2019, Les Deux Garçons was devastated by a fire that engulfed the entire building, leaving the much loved establishment just a shell.<ref>{{cite news |title=Aix : les "2G" totalement détruits par un incendie |url=http://www.laprovence.com/article/faits-divers-justice/5785368/aix-les-2g-totalement-detruits-par-un-incendie.html |access-date=5 March 2020 |agency=La Provence}}</ref>

The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour ([[Aix Cathedral]]) is situated to the north in the [[medieval]] part of Aix. Built on the site of a former [[forum (Roman)|Roman forum]] 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 architecture|Gothic style]] with doors elaborately carved in [[walnut]]. The interior contains 16th-century tapestries, a 15th-century [[triptych]] depicting [[René I of Naples|King René]] and his wife on the side panels, as well as a [[Merovingian]] [[baptistery]], its [[Renaissance]] dome supported by original Roman columns. The archbishop's palace (Palais de l'Archêveché) and a [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] [[cloister]] adjoin the cathedral on its south side.<ref>Michelin Guide to Provence, {{ISBN|2-06-137503-0}}, pages 67–68.</ref> The [[Archbishopric]] of Aix is now shared with [[Arles]].

[[File:Hoteldeville-aix.JPG|thumb|Place de l'Hôtel de Ville with the [[Hôtel de Ville, Aix-en-Provence|Hôtel de Ville]] on the right]]
[[File:L'Eglise St-Jean de Malte - Place St Jean de Malte - Aix-en-Provence.jpg|thumb|Saint-Jean-de-Malte]]
Among its other public institutions, Aix also has the second most important [[Court of Appeal (France)|Appeal Court]] (Palais de Justice) outside of Paris, located near the site of the former Palace of the Counts (Palais des Comtes) of [[Provence]].

The [[Hôtel de Ville, Aix-en-Provence|Hôtel de Ville]] (town hall), 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/aix-vieilleville.htm |title=Tourist office: Old Aix |publisher=Aixenprovencetourism.com |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217045112/http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/aix-vieilleville.htm |archive-date=17 February 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Also on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is the former [[Corn exchange|Corn Exchange]] (1759–1761) (Halle de Grains). This ornately decorated 18th-century building was designed by the Vallon brothers. Nearby are the remarkable [[Hot spring|thermal springs]], containing lime and [[carbonic acid]], that first drew the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] to Aix and gave it the name ''Aquae Sextiae''. A [[spa]] was built in 1705 near the remains of the [[Ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] [[Thermae|baths]] of [[Sextius Calvinus|Sextius]].<ref>[[Encyclopædia Britannica]], 1911.</ref>

South of the Cours Mirabeau is the [[Quartier Mazarin]]. This residential district was constructed for the gentry of Aix by [[Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence|Archbishop]] [[Michele Mazzarino]] brother of [[Cardinal Mazarin|Cardinal Jules Mazarin]] in the last half of the 17th century and contains several notable [[Hôtel particulier|''hôtels particuliers'']]. The 13th-century [[church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte]] 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.<ref>Laurence Labrouche, "Ariane Mnouchkine: un parcours théâtral: le terrassier, l'enfant et le voyageur", L'Harmattan (1999), {{ISBN|2-7384-8022-5}}, page 66, "la ville aux mille fontaines"</ref> 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,<ref>{{Cite book |title=Provence |series=Michelin Green Guide |year=1999 |publisher=Michelin |isbn=0-320-03732-0}}, page 69. The fountain was built in 1667,</ref> and three of the fountains down the central Cours Mirabeau: at the top, a 19th-century fountain depicts the "good king" [[René I of Naples|René]] holding the [[Muscat (grape and wine)|Muscat grapes]] that he introduced to [[Provence]] in the 15th century; halfway down is a natural hot water fountain (34&nbsp;°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 is 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==
[[File:Aix-en-Provence Institut etudes politiques 20061227.jpg|thumb|The Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po)]]
Aix has long been a university town: [[Louis II of Anjou]] granted a [[royal charter]] for a university in 1409. Today Aix-en-Provence remains an important educational centre, with many teaching and research institutes:

* [[Arts et Métiers ParisTech]], 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]], consisting of the faculty and former campuses of:
**[[University of Provence Aix-Marseille I]], specialising in the humanities.
**[[Université de la Méditerranée Aix-Marseille II]], 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]] (IEP) is part of France's network of political studies universities, often referred to as "Sciences Po".
* [[ZEAT|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]].

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 [[Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles|CPGE]].

==Culture==
[[File:Rattle BPH-Rittershaus1-Wikipedia.jpg|thumb|right|Sir Simon Rattle conducting ''[[Das Rheingold]]'' in 2006]]

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

====Festival d'Aix-en-Provence====
An important opera festival, the ''[[Aix-en-Provence Festival|Festival international d'Art Lyrique]]'', founded in 1948, now ranks with those in [[Bayreuth Festival|Bayreuth]], [[Salzburg Festival|Salzburg]] and [[Glyndebourne Festival Opera|Glyndebourne]]. The director until 2018 was [[Bernard Foccroulle]], 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]]; 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's [[Ring Cycle]] with the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] 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]].' 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]], 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]] 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]]. 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]], 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===
[[File:Aix-Pavillon Vendôme-bjs180804-06.jpg|thumb|Vendôme Pavilion]]
[[File:François Marius Granet - La récolte des citrouilles à la Bastide de Malvalat.jpg|thumb|right|[[François Marius Granet|Granet]]'s "Pumpkin Harvest" at the [[Musée Granet]]]]
[[File:Aix-Atelier Cézanne-bjs180816-06.jpg|thumb|[[Cézanne's studio|Paul Cézanne's studio]] from 1902 until his 1906 death]]
Aix has several museums and galleries:
*Le Musée du Vieil Aix (Museum of Old Aix), housed in two period [[Hôtel particulier|"hôtels particuliers"]] and devoted to the history and provencal heritage of Aix.
*Le [[Museum d’Histoire Naturelle Aix en Provence|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museegranet-aixenprovence.fr/www/index5.html |title=Website of the Musée Granet |publisher=Museegranet-aixenprovence.fr |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423165631/http://www.museegranet-aixenprovence.fr/www/index5.html |archive-date=23 April 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It recently underwent significant restoration and reorganization, prior to the international exhibition in 2006 marking the centenary of [[Paul Cézanne|Cézanne]]'s death.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearttribune.com/Reopening-of-the-Musee-Granet-in.html |title=Reopening of the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence |publisher=The Art Tribune |date=20 August 2007 |access-date=22 May 2009 |archive-date=3 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103001637/http://www.thearttribune.com/Reopening-of-the-Musee-Granet-in.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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]] (among which the monumental "[[Jupiter and Thetis (Ingres)|Jupiter and Thetis]]"), an authentic self-portrait by [[Rembrandt]], and works by [[Anthony van Dyck]], [[Paul Cézanne]], [[Alberto Giacometti]] 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]], 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]], [[Renoir]]. [[Gauguin]], [[Monet]], Cézanne, [[Van Gogh]], Picasso, [[Pierre Bonnard]], [[Paul Klee]], [[Fernand Léger]], 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 art|abstract painter]] [[Victor Vasarely]].
*Le Camp des Milles
*[[Cézanne's studio|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===
[[File:Paul Cézanne - Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley (Metropolitan Museum of Art).jpg|thumb|''[[Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley]]'', Paul Cézanne, 1882–1885]]
[[File:Montagne Sainte-Victoire, par Paul Cézanne 109.jpg|thumb|[[Mont Sainte-Victoire (Cézanne)|''Mont Sainte-Victoire'']], Paul Cézanne, 1904–1906]]
To the east of Aix rises [[Montagne Sainte-Victoire]] ({{convert|1,011|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}}), 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]] of Bibemus.<ref>
{{Cite journal|title=Montagne Ste-Victoire, Aix-en-Provence, Gardanne, Trets|series=La Carte de Randonnée, 1;25,000|volume=3244 ET|publisher=Institut Géographique National}}</ref> It dramatically overshadows the small dam built by [[Émile Zola]]'s father and was a favourite subject and haunt of [[Paul Cézanne]] throughout his lifetime. In the village of [[Le Tholonet]] on the precipitous southern side of Mont Sainte-Victoire, there is a [[windmill]] 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, Bouches-du-Rhône|Vauvenargues]]. The [[Château of Vauvenargues]] overlooking the village was formerly occupied by the [[List of rulers of Provence|counts of Provence]] (including [[René of Anjou]]) and the Archbishops of Aix before it became the family home of the [[Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues|marquis de Vauvenargues]].<ref>[http://www.vauvenargues.org/index.php?P=91&action=afficher&type=art&menu=3 Mairie of Vauvenargues, History and heritage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518195509/http://www.vauvenargues.org/index.php?P=91&action=afficher&type=art&menu=3 |date=18 May 2020 }} {{in lang|fr}}</ref> It was acquired by the Spanish artist [[Pablo Picasso]] in 1958, who was resident there from 1959 until 1962, when he moved to [[Mougins]]. He and his wife Jacqueline are buried in its grounds,<ref>{{Cite book|first=Patrick|last=O'Brian|publisher=Putnam|year=1976|title=Picasso: Pablo Ruiz Picasso : a Biography|url=https://archive.org/details/picassopabloruiz0000obri|url-access=registration|isbn=88-304-0863-8}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945265,00.html |title=Pablo Picasso's Last Days and Final Journey|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=23 April 1973}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Château de Vauvenargues|author=Bruno Ely|publisher=ImageArt|year=2009|isbn=978-2-9534525-0-1}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100413180944/http://chateau-vauvenargues.com/ Château of Vauvenargues]}}, official web site</ref>

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 [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[viaduct]] above le Tholonet.

==Sport==
*Association football is represented in the city by [[Pays d'Aix FC|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. {{as of|2021}}, they play in [[Rugby Pro D2]], 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 [[Aix-en-Provence Argonautes|Les Argonautes Aix-en-Provence]] has won the top-level [[Ligue Élite de Football Américain]] 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]]. It is held every May at the Country Club Aixois.
*Former world number one squash player [[Grégory Gaultier]] lives in Aix-en-Provence.
*The city hosted [[Ukraine national football team|Ukraine]]'s football base camp during [[UEFA Euro 2016|Euro 2016]].<ref>Ribeiro, Benjamin. [http://www.aix-international.com/Euro-2016-Aix-camp-de-base-de-l-Ukraine "Euro 2016: Aix, camp de base de l'Ukraine"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326204341/http://www.aix-international.com/Euro-2016-Aix-camp-de-base-de-l-Ukraine |date=26 March 2016 }}, aix-international.com (in French). Retrieved on 18 March 2016.</ref>
*The city holds a junior [[fencing]] World Cup event for men's foil in January of each year. Local fencer [[Erwann Le Péchoux]] was part of the team that won the gold medal in men's team foil at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

==Economy==
[[File:Calisson.jpg|thumb|[[Calisson]]s, a specialty of Aix-en-Provence]]
Industries formerly included flour-milling, the manufacture of confectionery, iron-ware, hats, matches and the extraction of [[olive oil]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Histoire d'Aix-en-Provence|publisher=Edisud|year=1977|isbn=2-85744-237-8}}</ref>

Current economic activities include:
* Tourism.
* Entertainment, particularly opera and dance.
* The [[semiconductor]] and [[electronics]] industry in [[Rousset, Bouches-du-Rhône|Rousset]], to the south of [[Montagne Sainte-Victoire|Mont Ste.-Victoire]], specializing in [[Integrated circuit|microchip]] technology for [[credit card]]s.
* Education and research. In Aix the [[University of Aix-Marseille]] specializes in the [[humanities]], law and economics.
* The computer software industry.
* The manufacture of [[santons]], traditional hand-crafted figurines, often associated with [[provence|provencal]] Christmas [[Nativity scene|creches]].
* The manufacture of [[olive oil]].
* The manufacture of ''[[calisson]]s'', a lozenge-shaped [[confection]] made from [[almond]]s, orange peel, sugar, and crystallized melon.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/26/travel/fare-of-the-country-provence-s-almond-calissons.html|title=Fare of the Country; Provence's Almond Calissons|last=Beckett-Young|first=Kathleen|date=26 February 1989|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2019-11-24|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Each year in early September, there is a mass in French and Provençal in the [[medieval]] 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 [[Bubonic plague|plague]]. It is currently accompanied by a colourful [[provence|provencal]] [[procession|pageant]], involving most of the local calisson manufacturers and their wares. About calissons, Provençal novelist [[Marcel Pagnol]] wrote that, to make true calissons "'''You need one-third almonds, one-third fruit confits, one-third sugar, and a quarter savoir faire''.<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38005875|title=France battles China over sweets trademark|date=16 November 2016|access-date=2019-11-24|language=en-GB}}</ref>
* [[Viticulture]]: the local [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée]] is [[Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOC]], with many vineyards between Aix and the [[Durance|River Durance]] to the north. The reputed appellation of [[Palette AOC]] is represented by the estates of Château Simone in [[Meyreuil]] and Château Crémade in [[Le Tholonet]], to the east of Aix.<ref>
{{Cite book|first=Robert|last=Parker|author-link=Robert M. Parker, Jr.|year=1996|page=488|title=The Wine Buyer's Guide|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|isbn=0-7513-0342-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chateau-simone.fr/ |title=Official website for Château Simone |publisher=Chateau-simone.fr |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410003611/http://www.chateau-simone.fr/ |archive-date=10 April 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guidevins.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=320 |title=Guide des Vins – Château Crémade |language= fr |publisher=Guidevins.com |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> There is a fair of local wine producers every year on the last Sunday in July on the [[Cours Mirabeau]]. Grape varieties include [[grenache]], [[syrah]], [[cabernet sauvignon]], and notably [[vermentino]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.aixenprovencetourism.com/aix-vins.htm |title=Aix en Provence Office de Tourisme |access-date=19 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203173426/http://en.aixenprovencetourism.com/aix-vins.htm |archive-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* Chocolate: the well known [[Chocolaterie]] de [[Puyricard]] is situated in the hills to the north of Aix.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.puyricard.fr/ |title=The Chocolaterie of Puyricard |publisher=Puyricard.fr |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421144543/http://www.puyricard.fr/ |archive-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy }}</ref>
* Saffron: The Safranière de Provence is an organic saffron producer situated near Aix-en-Provence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://safranieredeprovence.com/ |title=Saffron of Provence |publisher=safranieredeprovence.com |access-date=19 October 2021}}</ref>

The airline [[Twin Jet]] has its head office in Aix-en-Provence.<ref>"[http://www.twinjet.fr/lggb/index.php The company: Company information]." [[Twin Jet]]. Retrieved on 8 July 2010. "Address : TWIN JET 1070 rue du lieutenant Parayre BP 30370 13799 AIX EN PROVENCE CEDEX 3 "</ref>

From 1990 to 2000, criminal organizations established complex [[extortion]] rings in [[Marseille]] extending to Aix-en-Provence and the greater [[French Riviera]]. Since 2002, ''Le Milieu'' is known for, in addition to its extortion rings, large [[counterfeit]]ing and [[White-collar crime|white-collar]] crime operations. Due to increased financial regulation, ''Le Milieu'' has collectively pushed to [[Money laundering|integrate their crime profits]] into the legal economy.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|320|Aix-en-Provence}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-13001#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |27000
|1800 |21009
|1806 |21960
|1821 |22412
|1831 |22575
|1836 |24660
|1841 |26698
|1846 |27280
|1851 |27255
|1856 |26136
|1861 |27659
|1866 |28152
|1872 |29020
|1876 |28693
|1881 |29257
|1886 |29057
|1891 |28357
|1896 |28913
|1901 |29418
|1906 |29829
|1911 |29836
|1921 |29983
|1926 |35106
|1931 |38332
|1936 |42615
|1946 |46053
|1954 |54217
|1962 |67943
|1968 |89566
|1975 |110659
|1982 |121327
|1990 |123842
|1999 |133018
|2007 |143404
|2012 |141148
|2017 |142482
}}

== Politics ==

The current mayor of Aix-en-Provence is [[Sophie Joissains]], elected on September 24, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/aix-en-provence-13080/sophie-joissains-succede-a-sa-mere-a-la-mairie-d-aix-en-provence-26bfbf78-1d1d-11ec-b443-821185c78bbd|title=Sophie Joissains succède à sa mère à la mairie d'Aix-en-Provence}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ | List of successive mayors
!term !!Name!! Party
|- 
| 2021–incumbent || [[Sophie Joissains]] || [[Union of Democrats and Independents|UDI]]
|- 
| 2001–2021 || [[Maryse Joissains-Masini]] || [[The Republicans (France)|LR]]
|-
| 1989–2001 || [[Jean-François Picheral]] || [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]
|-
| 1983–1989 || [[Jean-Pierre de Peretti Della Rocca|Jean-Pierre de Peretti]] || [[Union for French Democracy|UDF]]
|-
| 1978–1983 || [[Alain Joissains]] || [[Union for French Democracy|UDF]]
|-
| 1967–1978 || [[Félix Ciccolini]] || [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]
|-
| 1945–1967 || Henri Mouret || 
|}

'''Presidential Elections Second Round:'''

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Election!!Winning Candidate!!Party!!%
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|En Marche!}}" |
| [[2017 French presidential election|2017]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/resultats-elections/aix-en-provence-13001/|title=Résultats élections: Aix-en-Provence|website=Le Monde.fr}}</ref>
| [[Emmanuel Macron]]
| [[En Marche!|EM]]
| 73.59
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}" |
| [[2012 French presidential election|2012]]
| [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]
| [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]]
| 53.09
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}" |
| [[2007 French presidential election|2007]]
| [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]
| [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]]
| 57.30
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Rally for the Republic}}" |
| [[2002 French presidential election|2002]]
| [[Jacques Chirac]]
| [[Rally for the Republic|RPR]]
| 80.74
|}

==Transport==
[[File:Gare aix en provence tgv3.jpg|thumb|left|[[Aix-en-Provence TGV railway station]].]]
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 of France|autoroute]]s connecting Aix to nearby towns. There are autoroutes northwards to Avignon and to the [[Luberon]]; southwards to [[Marseille]]; and eastwards to [[Aubagne]] and the Mediterranean coast of Provence; and to [[Nice]] and other towns on the [[French Riviera]]. Aix and Marseille are equidistant from the [[Marseille Provence Airport]] (MRS) at [[Marignane]] on the [[Étang de Berre]] 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 [[Gare d'Aix-en-Provence TGV|nearby TGV station]] at l'Arbois, in the middle of the countryside about {{convert|10|mi|km|0|order=flip}} 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]] in the [[French Alps]]. 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.<ref name="Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office">{{Cite news|url=http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/en/plan-your-trip/tourist-pass/|title=Aix-en-Provence City Pass {{!}} Aix en Provence │ Office de Tourisme|work=Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office|access-date=2017-12-18|language=en-GB}}</ref> The "pass tourisitque" is offered at the Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office, the Atelier de Cézanne, and the official Aix tourism website.<ref name="Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office"/>

In the town itself, there is an inexpensive municipal bus service, including a dial-a-bus service ("proxibus"), a [[park-and-ride]] service and tiny electrified buses for those with mobility problems – these are six-seater vehicles that circulate at a speed of {{convert|10|mph|km/h|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mairie-aixenprovence.fr/IMG/aed/27.pdf |title=BILAN 2001/06: la ville á visage humain |date=27 February 2008 |access-date=15 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320132246/http://www.mairie-aixenprovence.fr/IMG/aed/27.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2009 }}</ref> 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 traffic|one-way]] [[ring road]] 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.<ref>''Aix-en-Provence'', Plan Guide Blay-Foldex.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/pdf/plan-centre-a-imprimer.gif |title=Map of central Aix |access-date=15 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531220019/http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/pdf/plan-centre-a-imprimer.gif |archive-date=31 May 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

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==
[[File:2016 Aix-en-Provence - Le cours Mirabeau.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[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|Occitan]] language. The provencal for "Aix-en-Provence" is "Ais de Prouvènço" {{IPA|[ˈaj de pʀuˈvɛ̃sɔ]}}. Most of the older streets in Aix have names in both Provençal and French.

Aix hosted the ninth [[Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne|International Congress of Modern Architecture]] in 1953.

Aix is the home town of the [[rugby union]] team [[Provence Rugby]]. It played host to the [[All Blacks]] during the early stages of the [[2007 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radiosport.co.nz/WhatsUp/Detail.aspx?id=1432 |title=Just Sport – New Zealand's Sports Network – What's Up : RWC 2007 Commentators Blog |publisher=Radio Sport |date=21 October 2007 |access-date=22 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927111053/http://www.radiosport.co.nz/WhatsUp/Detail.aspx?id=1432 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/all-blacks-dazzled-by-haka-ballet/2007/09/28/1190486520975.html |title=All Blacks dazzled by haka ballet – rugbyheaven07.com.au |publisher=Rugbyheaven.com.au |date=28 September 2007 |access-date=22 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730130451/http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/all-blacks-dazzled-by-haka-ballet/2007/09/28/1190486520975.html |archive-date=30 July 2008 }}</ref>

''[[Ysabel]]'', 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''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.12k.com/index.php/site/releases/aix/ |title=Aix, 12k records |date=13 January 2009 |access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref> 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]], the department within the French Space Agency responsible for investigating aerospace phenomena.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29755919 |title=Why the French state has a team of UFO hunters By Chris Bockman |work=BBC News |date=4 November 2014 |access-date=4 November 2014}}</ref>

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}
Aix-en-Provence is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=twins>{{cite web |title=Les villes partenaires|url=https://www.aixenprovence.fr/villes-partenaires|website=aixenprovence.fr|date=20 October 2020|publisher=Aix-en-Provence|language=fr|access-date=2021-04-20}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}{{flagicon| }}{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], England, United Kingdom (1977)
*{{flagicon|TUN}} [[Carthage (municipality)|Carthage]], Tunisia (1993)
*{{flagicon|POR}} [[Coimbra]], Portugal (1982)
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Granada]], Spain (1979)
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Perugia]], Italy (1970)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Tübingen]], Germany (1960)
{{div col end}}

===Friendship and cooperation===
Aix-en-Provence also cooperates with:<ref name=twins/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|LIB}} [[Baalbek]], Lebanon (2003)
*{{flagicon|MLI}} [[Bamako]], Mali (2003)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]], United States (1999)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Coral Gables, Florida|Coral Gables]], United States (1997)
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Kumamoto]], Japan (2013)
*{{flagicon|MAR}} [[Oujda]], Morocco (1998)
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Pécs]], Hungary (2011)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Philadelphia]], United States (1998)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Seattle]], United States
{{div col end}}

==Notable people==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Eleanor of Provence]] (died 1291), [[queen consort]] of King [[Henry III of England]]
*[[Charles Annibal Fabrot]] (1580–1659), jurist
*[[David-Augustin de Brueys]] (1640–1723), theologian and playwright
*[[Joseph Pitton de Tournefort]] (1656–1708), botanist
*[[André Campra]] (1660–1744), composer and conductor
*[[Jean-Baptiste van Loo]] (1684–1745), painter
*[[Laurent Belissen]] (1693–1762), composer
*[[Joseph Lieutaud]] (1703–1780), doctor to [[Louis XV of France]]
*[[Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues]] (1715–1747), writer and [[French Moralists|moralist]]
*[[Joseph Sec]] (1715–1794), carpenter and architect
*[[Jean-François Pierre Peyron]] (1744–1814), painter
*[[Jean-Baptiste Giraud]] (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]] and founder of the [[Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate]]
*[[Eliza Courtney]] (1792–1859), illegitimate daughter of the Prime Minister [[Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey]] and [[Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire]]
*[[François Mignet]] (1796–1884), historian
*[[François Vincent Latil]] (1796–1890), painter
*[[Achille Emperaire]] (1829–1898), painter
*[[François Vidal]] (1832–1911), Occitan poet and activist
*[[Paul Cézanne]] (1839–1906), painter
*[[Philippe Solari]] (1840–1906), sculptor
*[[Baptistin Baille]] (1841–1918), professor of [[optics]] and [[acoustics]]
*[[Maurice Rouvier]] (1842–1911), politician
*[[Alfred Capus]] (1858–1922), journalist and playwright
*[[Henri Brémond]] (1864–1933), theologian
*[[Armand Lunel]] (1892–1977), last known speaker of [[Shuadit language|Shuadit]]
*[[Paul Veyne]] (1930–2022), historian and archeologist
*[[Jacques Pellegrin (painter)|Jacques Pellegrin]] (1944–2021), painter
*[[Henri Michel]] (1947–2018), football player and coach
*[[Chef Jean-Pierre|Jean-Pierre Bréhier]] (born 1952), chef
*[[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
*[[Marc Béziat]] (born 1975), music composer
*[[Arnaud Clément]] (born 1977), tennis player
*[[Célimène Daudet]] (born 1977), classical pianist
*[[Mylène Jampanoï]] (born 1980), actress
*[[Ouissem Belgacem]] (born 1988), former football player, writer
*[[Paris Laxmi]] (born 1991), Indian dancer
{{div col end}}

===Notable residents===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Maximinus of Aix]], saint, first bishop of Aix, who according to [[Archbishopric of Aix|provencal tradition]] evangelised Aix with [[Mary Magdalene]]
*[[Saint Mitre]] (433–466), Christian [[martyr]], died here and his [[relics]] 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]] (1580–1637), scientist best known for his correspondence
*[[Jean Daret]] (1613–1668), painter, died here
*[[Pierre Joseph Garidel]] (1658–1737), botanist
*[[Claude Arnulphy]] (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]] (1746–1818), writer and philosopher
*[[Jean-Antoine Constantin]] (1756–1844), painter
*[[Antoine de Lhoyer|Antoine de L'Hoyer]] (1768–1852), composer, guitarist and soldier
*[[Ambroise Roux-Alphéran]] (1776–1858), [[clerk of court]] and historian
*[[Émile Zola]] (1840–1902), novelist, spent his childhood here
*[[Émile Dufresne]] (1861–1942), inventor and engineer, died here
*[[Joseph Ravaisou]] (1865–1925), painter, died here
*[[Louise Germain]] (1874–1939), painter, died here
*[[Joseph d'Arbaud]] (1874–1950), poet, died here
*[[Darius Milhaud]] (1892–1984), composer and teacher<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Darius Milhaud, Compositeur de Musique|first=Georges|last=Jessula|url=http://www.cairn.info/article.php?ID_REVUE=AJ&ID_NUMPUBLIE=AJ_361&ID_ARTICLE=AJ_361_0140#|pages=140–144|journal=Revue Juive|year=2003}} Since their marriage in 1892, Milhaud's parents lived in the ''Bras d'Or'' in Aix-en-Provence, where their son grew up; however he was delivered at the home of his maternal grandparents in Marseille.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|first=Darius|last=Milhaud|author-link=Darius Milhaud|title=Ma Vie heureuse |publisher=Zurfluh|year= 1998|isbn=2-87750-083-7}}</ref>
*[[Roland de Pury]] (1907–1979), Swiss minister, died here
*[[Nina Simone]] (1933–2003), American singer, songwriter, pianist, civil rights activist, lived here in 1993–2003
*[[Christophe Rousset]] (born 1961), conductor and harpsichordist, grew up here
*[[Charles Trenet]] (1942–2001), poet, painter and singer, wrote several evergreens here
*[[Bradley Cooper]] (born 1975), American actor, spent 6 months as an exchange student here whilst studying an English major and French minor at [[Georgetown University]].
*[[Grégory Gaultier]] (born 1982), [[2015 Men's World Open Squash Championship|2015 squash world champion]]
*[[Majid Rabah]] (born 1980), footballer
{{div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Aix-en-Provence Thermes Sextius 2 20061227.jpg|Medieval [[Defensive wall|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 (architecture)|Atlas]] 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
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Aix-en-Provence possessions]]: In 1611, Father Louis Gaufridi was accused of causing demonic possession in the Ursuline nuns at Aix.
* [[Aurelian Way]]
* [[Speech and language laboratory (CNRS)]]
*[[List of works by Auguste Carli]]
*[[List of works by Louis Botinelly]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Explanatory footnotes===
{{notelist}}

==References==
*{{Cite book|first=Raoul|last=Busquet|title=Histoire de la Provençade des origines à la révolution française|publisher=Éditions Jeanne Lafitte|year=1954|isbn=2-86276-319-5}}
;Attribution
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Aix |volume=1 |page=447}}

==Bibliography==
{{See also|Timeline of Aix-en-Provence#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Aix-en-Provence}}

==External links==
* [http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/en/ Aix en Provence Tourist office website] {{in lang|en}}

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Bouches-du-Rhône communes}}
{{Cities in France}}

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