Mazarin District and Fountain of the Four Dolphins, Aix-en-Provence

Right in the heart of Aix鈥檚 Mazarin district, you鈥檒l stumble upon the Square of the Four Dolphins鈥攁 quiet intersection dressed in 17th-century elegance. It鈥檚 flanked by grand mansions, including the Boisgelin Hotel, dreamed up by Pierre Pavillon in 1655. But the real centerpiece is, naturally, the fountain鈥攁 quartet of dolphins doing synchronized spray work since the 17th century.

This whole corner of Aix exists thanks to Michel Mazarin, the city鈥檚 archbishop with a flair for demolition. Back in 1645, he got the green light from Louis XIV to knock down Aix鈥檚 southern ramparts and replace them with something far more fashionable. Inspired by Italian Renaissance planning (and perhaps a few ego trips), architect Jean Lombard laid out a crisp grid of streets and dropped in a proper square right in the middle.

Originally dubbed Saint-Michel Square, the space eventually took its cue from the sculpture at its core. The fountain stars four dolphins coiling around a pedestal, still making a splash. A pine cone is adorned at the top鈥攗nexpected, but somehow it works. The dolphins spit water into a wide basin, watched over by four chestnut trees that offer shade with a sense of seniority. It鈥檚 a stylish pause in a neighborhood built to impress鈥攁nd it still does.

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.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Mazarin District and Fountain of the Four Dolphins
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.

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Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

Aix-en-Provence Fountains and Squares Tour

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The fountains appear throughout the city and are... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles

Aix-en-Provence Introduction Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles

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