Officially named Place du Général de Gaulle, Place de la Rotonde is the focal point of the past and future of urban development in Aix-en-Provence. It was created between 1840 and 1850 on a 328 ft (100 m) in diameter area and embellished with a fountain in 1860. Initially designed to mark the entrance to the city, it is today in its heart and symbolizes the junction between the historic center that stretches on both sides of the Cours Mirabeau and the modern city that has developed around the Allées Provençales and the cultural center.