An emblematic artery of Aix-en-Provence, the Cours Mirabeau was born with the expansion of the city ordered in the 17th century by Archbishop Mazarin. It replaced the old ramparts to respond to the wishes of the wealthy bourgeois and the families of the nobility who demanded a promenade for coaches and pedestrians. The Cours Mirabeau consists of elegant mansions that bear witness to the financial success of their owners. Bordered by plane trees, it is punctuated by the Neuf Canons, Moussue, and Roi René fountains and leads to the most imposing of all, the Rotonde fountain, built in 1860.