Aix-en-provence History

Aix-en-Provence, known as Aix, was founded in 123 BC by the Roman ambassador Sextius Calvinus. In 102 BC, the Battle of Aquae Sextiae took place in Aix and its surrounding areas. Romans, led by Gaius Marius, defeated the Germanic tribes of the Cimbri and the Teutones. There were mass suicides among many women at this time, which soon became remembered as Germanic heroism.

Unsettled times

The Romans held onto their power until the 5th century AD, when Aix was conquered by the Visigoths. In the following century, the town was constantly under attack by the Franks and the Lombards. It was a very unsettled time and many people tried to escape the town and settle elsewhere.

Saracen rule

Aix was finally captured by the Saracens in 731 AD and went through a much calmer period, where people were able to settle, build up their communities and even prosper. Aix became the capital of Provence, but it remained fairly static after its initial growth. The city did not begin to thrive again until the 12th century, when it became an artistic hub under the control of Aragorn and Anjou.  

Along with the rest of Provence, Aix was passed over to France in 1487. Louis XII sanctioned the Provence Parliament, which lasted until 1789. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Aix was the administrative seat of Provence.

Modern times

After WWII, the town of Aix once again began to prosper. The town grew at a rapid pace due to the construction of a university in the south of the town. Its population grew from 30,000 in 1930 to almost 70,000 in 1959. In the 1960s, the town saw the arrival of many refugees from North Africa and with them, the building of many new houses.

In the middle of the 1990s the extreme party, Front National (FN), led by Jean Marie Le Pen, gained a strong presence in Provence and gained a massive victory in the municipal elections. In 2002, after Le Pen had shocking success in the first round of the presidential elections, people throughout France took to the streets in protest. Luckily Le Pen was defeated in the second round.

Present day

Today, Aix is a lot more politically stable and it enjoys its reputation as a thriving university town. It receives many visitors each year and is once again a cultural centre for the region.