Cours Mirabeau (Mirabeau Boulevard), Aix-en-Provence (must see)
Gabriel Riqueti, Count of Mirabeau, was a man of big gestures and even bigger contradictions. He spoke for liberty, flirted with monarchy, and somehow managed to represent Aix at the General Assembly in 1789 without burning any bridges鈥攁t least not immediately. When he died in 1791, France collectively put down its quills and mourned.
A few decades and revolutions later, Aix named its most iconic street after him: Mirabeau Boulevard. Back in 1649, however, this grand promenade was just a gleam in Archbishop Michel Mazarin鈥檚 eye. With the city bursting at the seams, Mazarin tore down the southern ramparts to build a tree-lined thoroughfare fit for gilded carriages, powdered wigs, and Sunday strolls. Architect Jean Lombard helped draft the blueprint for this upscale expansion, turning what was once a defense wall into something much more stylish.
It took fifteen years of rubble removal to make way for the noble set, but the result still impresses: a leafy tunnel of plane trees lined with elegant mansions, wrought-iron balconies, and enough caf茅s to caffeinate all of Provence. The name 鈥淢irabeau鈥� wasn鈥檛 slapped on until 1876, but the spirit of grandeur had been there from the beginning.
Fountains punctuate the boulevard like commas in a particularly well-watered sentence. There鈥檚 the showy Fountain of the Rotunda at one end, the Fountain of the Nine Canons mid-way, and the Mossy Fountain, which looks exactly like it sounds. As for the Fountain of the Seahorses, it vanished in 1777; today, only a stony lump remains to tell the tale.
A statue of King Ren茅 marks the east end of the boulevard, looking pleased with the view鈥攕hopfronts now outnumber mansions, but the Boulevard still holds its swagger. Like its namesake, it doesn鈥檛 quite pick a side鈥攂ourgeois polish, revolutionary echoes, and a strong preference for table service.
A few decades and revolutions later, Aix named its most iconic street after him: Mirabeau Boulevard. Back in 1649, however, this grand promenade was just a gleam in Archbishop Michel Mazarin鈥檚 eye. With the city bursting at the seams, Mazarin tore down the southern ramparts to build a tree-lined thoroughfare fit for gilded carriages, powdered wigs, and Sunday strolls. Architect Jean Lombard helped draft the blueprint for this upscale expansion, turning what was once a defense wall into something much more stylish.
It took fifteen years of rubble removal to make way for the noble set, but the result still impresses: a leafy tunnel of plane trees lined with elegant mansions, wrought-iron balconies, and enough caf茅s to caffeinate all of Provence. The name 鈥淢irabeau鈥� wasn鈥檛 slapped on until 1876, but the spirit of grandeur had been there from the beginning.
Fountains punctuate the boulevard like commas in a particularly well-watered sentence. There鈥檚 the showy Fountain of the Rotunda at one end, the Fountain of the Nine Canons mid-way, and the Mossy Fountain, which looks exactly like it sounds. As for the Fountain of the Seahorses, it vanished in 1777; today, only a stony lump remains to tell the tale.
A statue of King Ren茅 marks the east end of the boulevard, looking pleased with the view鈥攕hopfronts now outnumber mansions, but the Boulevard still holds its swagger. Like its namesake, it doesn鈥檛 quite pick a side鈥攂ourgeois polish, revolutionary echoes, and a strong preference for table service.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Aix-en-Provence. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 黑料吃瓜网 App
Cours Mirabeau (Mirabeau Boulevard) on Map
Sight Name: Cours Mirabeau (Mirabeau Boulevard)
Sight Location: Aix-en-Provence, France (See walking tours in Aix-en-Provence)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Aix-en-Provence, France (See walking tours in Aix-en-Provence)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Aix-en-Provence, France
Create Your Own Walk in Aix-en-Provence
Creating your own self-guided walk in Aix-en-Provence is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Aix-en-Provence Fountains and Squares Tour
Aix-end-Provence is known for its fountains. With more than 1,000 fountains, a tourist could spend weeks walking around the city without glimpsing them all. The fountains began appearing under the Roman empire when the Romans discovered Aix's natural thermal water source. They referred to the area as Aquae Sextiae or the Waters of Sextius.
The fountains appear throughout the city and are... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
The fountains appear throughout the city and are... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
In the Footsteps of Paul C茅zanne
Paul C茅zanne, often called the 鈥渇ather of modern art鈥� for bridging 19th-century post-impressionism and the birth of early modernism, caused a bit of a stir early in his career. While staying with Doctor Gachet in Auvers-sur-Oise, he painted his take on Manet鈥檚 Olympia鈥攂ut with a twist. Instead of just a reclining nude, C茅zanne inserted himself into the scene, back turned, like a shy... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Aix-en-Provence Introduction Walking Tour
Aix-en-Provence may not have coastal views, but it compensates in style with its Roman bathwater and city logistics. Founded in 123 BC by Roman consul Gaius Sextius Calvinus, this southern French settlement鈥攐riginally named Aquae Sextiae, which means 鈥淲aters of Sextius鈥濃�攚as built around its thermal springs and the promise of a good soak. Centuries later, the name was streamlined to... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles