Upon its construction in 1860, the Rotonde fountain marked a turning point for Aix-en-Provence, not only by its exceptional dimensions but also by the innovation of its cast-iron basin. Back then, it symbolically stood at the entrance of the modern city freed of its ramparts by the construction of the Cours Mirabeau in the middle of the 17th century and open to the world. Since then, the historic center of Aix-en-Provence has been extended by new districts to the south and west, and the Rotonde fountain rises in the heart of the city that we know today.