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Fontaine des Fontêtes

Place des Fontêtes, 13100 Aix-en-Provence

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‘Fonteto’, a Provençal word translated into French as ‘Fontêtes’, means ‘little fountains’. In the Middle Ages, and up until 1676, the square had numerous water sources. Several wells were therefore built there, hence the plural name for small fountains, or ‘fontêtes’.

In 1676, the square was paved and the various wells were merged to form a single one. However, advances in water technology and the construction of the Sextius thermal baths, thanks to Vallon, rendered the well obsolete for the local population by 1715. In 1858, the local council decided to build a fountain on the site of the old well, using water from the Pinchinats. The Fontêtes Fountain was named after the history of its location. The cubic block of Calissane stone stands within a circular basin and features a mascaron on each side: two lion muzzles and two putti heads. Each motif is set within an arcature surmounted by a wreath of roses. At the top of the plinth, a statue of a young triton rides a tortoise and blows a horn, free and at peace. In fact, this is a replica of the original, created in 1988 (following a theft) by the École des Arts et Métiers, which has always remained faithful to the fountains of Aix. It should be noted that the Triton is missing an arm.

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Listing provided by Office de Tourisme d'Aix en Provence (updated by the source on 13/01/2026).

Tourist office data: DATAtourisme, Licence Ouverte (French open licence), updated 28 October 2026.