Cross to the south side of the Cours Mirabeau and you step into another era. The streets straighten, the façades fall into line, the noise subsides: welcome to the Mazarin quarter, the most elegant in Aix-en-Provence.
It was here that the Aix nobility built their mansions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Carved doors, ornate ironwork, inner courtyards: the quarter has kept its original face almost intact.
A quarter laid out with a ruler
In the mid-17th century, Aix was stifling within its ramparts. Michel Mazarin, brother of the famous cardinal and Archbishop of Aix, launched the extension of the town to the south in 1646, on a grid plan that was then very modern.
Rue Cardinale owes its name to its founder's title, rue Mazarine to his name. Within a few decades, the great families of the Parlement had built their residences here.
Not to be missed
THE FONTAINE DES QUATRE-DAUPHINSAt the crossroads of rue Cardinale and rue du 4-Septembre, four stone dolphins have been spouting water since 1667. This is the heart of the quarter.
THE CHURCH OF SAINT-JEAN-DE-MALTEThe former church of the Knights of the Order of Malta, built in the 13th century at the end of rue Cardinale.
THE MUSÉE GRANETIn the former priory of the Knights of Malta: works by Cézanne, a son of Aix, and many great masters.
THE HÔTEL DE CAUMONTBuilt from 1715 onwards, it has housed an art centre since 2015, with exhibitions, a garden and a tearoom.EmiRise tip: come for a stroll early in the morning or at dusk: the honey-coloured stone of the façades turns golden and the streets are almost deserted.
When Delon and Darc made waves in Mazarin
In the 1970s, Alain Delon and Mireille Darc rented the ground floor of the Hôtel de Boisgelin, opposite the Fountain of the Four Dolphins: more than 300 m² and a garden hidden behind a 17th-century façade.
Delon had a swimming pool dug there with Louis XV curves, a rarity in this quarter of honey-coloured stone. It soon got people talking: Mireille Darc's swims, as free-spirited as the times, eventually earned the couple a complaint from a neighbour.
Stay in the Mazarin quarter
In the heart of the prestigious Mazarin quarter, Jardin de Pontevès is a fully renovated 100 m² apartment with two light-filled bedrooms and two bathrooms, designed for four guests.
On rue Cardinale, in the prestigious Mazarin quarter, La Suite 26 is a fully renovated 80 m² apartment, finished with quality materials and refined décor.
On rue du 4 Septembre, opposite the Fountain of the Four Dolphins, Jardin Mazarin is a 130 m² first-floor apartment with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, designed for six guests.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the quarter called Mazarin?
It is named after Michel Mazarin, Archbishop of Aix and brother of Cardinal Mazarin, who launched its creation in 1646.
When was the Fountain of the Four Dolphins made?
It was sculpted in 1667 by Jean-Claude Rambot.
Is the Mazarin quarter a quiet place to stay?
Yes. It is a minute from the Cours Mirabeau, yet its residential streets remain very quiet, especially in the evening.
What is there to see in the Mazarin quarter?
The Fountain of the Four Dolphins, the church of Saint-Jean-de-Malte, the Musée Granet and the Hôtel de Caumont.
Aix, the city of a thousand fountainsHistoryA fountain that steams in winter, a marquis hanged in effigy, a copper star: what the fountains tell us about the city.
The Cours Mirabeau, the soul of AixNeighbourhoods440 metres of plane trees, café terraces and fountains: the most famous promenade in Provence.
The historic centre, the heart of AixNeighbourhoodsThe clock of the seasons, a marquis's square, the cathedral and film shoots.