Sources chaudes et bains romains d'Aquae Sextiae (Thermes Sextius)

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence owes its name to its springs. The proconsul Caius Sextius Calvinus founded Aquae Sextiae in 122 BC in a valley of hot and cold springs; Strabo and Cassiodorus mention them, the Peutinger map draws the town as a bath building, and in the 5th century the poet Sidonius Apollinaris compared its baths to those of Baiae, exaggerating a little. Excavations have found several: an establishment brought to light in 1841 north of rue de la Molle; in 1921, cure baths in front of the present pavillon Vallon, re-excavated in 1996. The water emerges there at close to 30 °C. About 130 m² were uncovered in three phases, with a basin of about 30 m² and a furnace to heat a foot bath. In the enclosure, an altar to Borbanus, god of bubbling waters, suggests a sanctuary of the waters. A neighbouring establishment, excavated in 1991 and built at the end of the 1st century, had a room of 12 m by 13.6 m with a marble floor. After the Romans the town lived mainly on wells, about twenty until the 17th century. Since 1759 the fontaine moussue of the cours Mirabeau has received an overflow of thermal water at 18–23 °C.

Ville d'Aix-en-Provence — Aquae Sextiae, ville thermale (PDF) ↗

Getting there: The Thermes Sextius (avenue des Thermes) are a paying establishment; I did not check the opening hours. The Roman remains excavated in 1921 and 1996 are not indicated as open to visit in the documents read. The hot-water fountain (fontaine moussue), on the cours Mirabeau, can be seen freely in the street, but it receives water at only 18–23 °C. Coordinates: ‘Thermes Sextius’ in OpenStreetMap, an establishment built near the Roman site. The cathédrale Saint-Sauveur (existing entry) is about 260 m away: different site.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound