The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour (Cathédrale Saint Sauveur), which dates from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, is situated in this portion of Aix.
It is preceded by a rich portal in the Gothic style with elaborately carved doors, and is flanked on the north by an uncompleted tower. The interior contains tapestry of the 16th century, other works of art and a baptism pool from the fourth century.
Small Street in Aix-en-Provence
The archbishop's palace (Palais de l'Archêveque) and a Romanesque cloister adjoin the cathedral on its south side. Just south of the Cours Mirabeau is the church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte. Dating from the 13th century, it contains some valuable pictures and the Musée Granet, which has recently undergone restoration.
The Hôtel de ville, a building in the classical style of the middle of the 17th century, looks on to a picturesque square (Place de la Mairie).
It contains some fine woodwork and a large library which includes many valuable manuscripts. At its side rises a handsome clock-tower erected in 1505.
Also on the Place de la Mairie is the former Corn Exchange (Halle de Grains). This 18th century building is ornately decorated and was designed by the Vallon architects.
Aix has thermal springs, remarkable for their heat as well as for containing lime and carbonic acid. The bathing establishment was built in 1705 near the site of the ancient baths of Sextius, of which vestiges still remain.
The town, which is the seat of an archbishop and court of appeal, and the centre of an académie (educational circumscription), numbers among its public institutions a Court of assizes, tribunals of first instance and of commerce, and a chamber of arts and manufactures.
La Rotonde fountain and roundabout
Aix is often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains. Among the more notable are:
- The Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins (Fountain of the Four Dolphins), built in 1667 by Jean-Claude Rambot;
- Le bon Roi René's Fountain, built in the 19th century, surmounted by a statue of Roi René holding a bunch of Muscat grapes, which he introduced into Provence in the 15th century;
- The hot-water fountain dating back to 1734, which is covered in moss due to the 35°C (93°F) water; and
- The great fountain, from 1860, at La Rotonde, the large roundabout at the centre of town.
