Aix-en-Provence, city in southeastern France, in Bouches-du-Rhône Department, near Marseille. The city is a trade center for olives, almonds, and wine; industries produce textiles, leather, and processed food. The city's pleasant setting and warm climate attract many tourists. A summer music festival is held annually in the city. The University of Aix-Marseille III (1409, reorganized 1970) is here. The cathedral of Saint-Sauveur contains Roman, early Christian, Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance styles of architecture.
Aix-en-Provence was founded about 123 BC by the Romans, who named its thermal springs Aquae Sextiae. In the 11th century it became a famous center of music and literature; later, many painters worked in the picturesque city. The painter Paul Cezanne was born and died here. Aix-en-Provence passed to the French crown in the 1480s. The French then converted the court palace of Provence, which was located here, into the parliament building for the Provence region. The palace was demolished in the 18th century. Population 134,222 (1999).
