Why go
Use the boulevard to understand the change in character between the two sides of central Aix. The old town lies to the north, with irregular streets and historic mansions; Quartier Mazarin extends south. Along the Cours itself, broad pavements and fountains turn that boundary into a place to linger.
What to look for
- Double rows of plane trees line the wide pavements.
- La Rotonde's large fountain marks one end of the Cours.
The full story
The boulevard began as a new use for a failing city boundary. In 1650, the Parliament of Aix commissioned a thoroughfare for carts along the line of a crumbling rampart. It was also intended to draw promenading residents away from Place des Prêcheurs. Town houses gradually rose on either side as the street became part of the city's expansion. Fountains were part of that transformation early on. By 1696, the Cours had the Fontaine des Neuf-Canons, the Fontaine Moussue, the Fontaine du Roi René and the now-vanished Chevaux-Marins fountain. La Rotonde is the large fountain landmark at one end of the boulevard. The street received the name of Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, by decree in 1876. Its generous dimensions, about 440 metres long and 42 metres wide, still explain the contrast with the older streets beyond it.