Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, Central square in Aix-en-Provence, France

Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville is an open square facing the City Hall building, featuring a large central fountain and plane trees that provide shade across the space. Historic structures with varied facades line the edges, creating a typical Provençal plaza layout.

This square has served as the administrative heart of Aix since the Middle Ages, when the original town hall was built on this site. Its current layout took shape over centuries through successive renovations and additions to the surrounding buildings.

The square hosts a flower market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and an old-book fair on the first Sunday of each month. The clock tower beside the town hall carries the 16th-century iron cage of the ban bell, once rung to summon the council or call for defence within a league. Inside the town hall, the former belfry holds an astronomical clock dating from 1661.

The square is pedestrian-friendly and connects to multiple walking routes leading to shops, cafes, and cultural sites throughout the city. Early morning or late afternoon visits are most pleasant, as shade from the trees makes the space more comfortable during warm weather.

The fountain of 1755 is the work of sculptor Jean-Pancrace Chastel, who carved the mascarons spitting water from the Pinchinats spring. It is topped by a Roman column, and the whole fountain was listed as a monument historique in 1905.