Revision as of 02:38, 6 August 2002 edit217.168.172.203 (talk)mNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 06:44, 5 September 2002 edit undoOlivier (talk | contribs)Administrators98,448 editsNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Aix''', or, to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, ''Aix-en-Provence'', is a city in south-eastern ]. It is the capital of an ] in the ''département'' of ], some 30 km north of ] and it is located in the ] region. Population is approximately 130,000. | |||
It is situated in a plain overlooking the Arc, about a mile from the right bank of the river. The ], a wide thoroughfare, planted with double rows of plane-trees, bordered by fine houses and decorated by three fountains, divides the town into two portions. The new town extends to the south, the old town with its wide but irregular streets and its old mansions dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries lies to the north. Aix is an important educational centre, being the seat of the faculties of law and letters of the university of Aix-Marseille, and the north and east quarter of the town, where the schools and university buildings are situated, is comparable to the Latin Quarter of ]. | |||
The ] of Saint-Sauveur, which dates from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, is situated in this portion of Aix. It is preceded by a rich portal in the Gothic style with elaborately carved doors, and | |||
is flanked on the north by an uncompleted tower. The interior contains tapestry of the 16th century and other works of art. The archbishop's palace and a ] cloister adjoin the cathedral on its south side. The church of Saint-Jean-de-Malto, dating from the 13th century, contains some valuable | |||
pictures. The hotel de ville, a building in the classical style of the middle of the 17th century, looks on to a picturesque square. It contains some fine woodwork and a large library which includes many valuable MSS. At its side rises a handsome clock-tower erected in 1505. Aix possesses many beautiful fountains, one of which in the Cours Mirabeau is surmounted by a statue of René, count of Provence, who held a brilliant court at Aix in the 15th century. Aix has thermal springs, remarkable for their heat and containing lime and carbonic acid. The bathing establishment was built in 1705 near the | |||
site of the ancient baths of Sextius, of which vestiges still remain. The town, which is the seat of an ] and court of appeal, and the centre of an académie (educational circumscription), numbers among its public institutions a Court of assizes, tribunals of first instance and of commerce, and a chamber of arts and manufactures. It also has training-colleges, a lycée, a school of art and technics, | |||
museums of antiquities, natural history and painting, and several learned societies. The industries include flour-milling, the manufacture of confectionery, iron-ware and hats, and the distillation of olive-oil. Trade is in olive-oil, almonds and stone from the neighbouring quarries. | |||
Aix (''Aquae Sextiae'') was founded in ] by the ] consul ], who gave his name to its springs. In ] its neighbourhood was the scene of the defeat inflicted on the ] and ] by Marius. In the ] CE it became the metropolis of ]. | |||
It was occupied by the ] in ], in the succeeding century was repeatedly plundered by the ] and ], and was occupied by the ] in ]. Aix, which during the middle ages was the capital of the county of ], did not reach its zenith until after the ], when, under the houses of ] and ], it became an artistic centre and seat of learning. With the rest of Provence, it passed to the crown of ] in ], and in | |||
] ] established there the parlement of Provence which existed until ]. In the 17th and 18th centuries the town was the seat of the intendance of Provence. | |||
---- | |||
Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia | |||
See also | |||
* the ] operating system. | * the ] operating system. | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
''This is a ] page; that is, one that just points to other pages that might otherwise have the same name. If you followed a link here, you might want to go back and fix that link to point to the appropriate specific page.'' |
Revision as of 06:44, 5 September 2002
- the AIX operating system.
- Aix-la-Chapelle
- Aix en Provence
- Aix les Bains
This is a disambiguation page; that is, one that just points to other pages that might otherwise have the same name. If you followed a link here, you might want to go back and fix that link to point to the appropriate specific page.