Splashing Around Aix!
Martha, Rachel, and Jessica get to the watery roots of Aix en Provence. Cover image by David Weiss.
When you think of a city you think of the culture, markets, art, and history. Aix’s history since the earliest times has been rooted in its fountains, giving to the city its name. The root word for Aix is the Latin “aquae” combined with “Sextiae” standing for the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus. He lent his name to Aix’s springs and the city is still home to a myriad of fountains in a variety of shapes and forms. The city center houses one third of the unique fountains. While walking through the old town one fountain that stuck out was the “Four Dolphins.” It has four ornate dolphins tail side up spouting water from their mouths, which is located in Mazarin quarter. The fountain has been in Aix for approximately 344 years thanks to the sculpture Jean Claude Rambot and its water is crystal clear and pure.