Aix-en-Provence town hall, Historical town hall in Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, France.
The Hôtel de Ville of Aix-en-Provence faces the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville with a symmetrical five-bay ashlar front by Pierre Pavillon, completed in 1668. The central bay has a round-headed doorway flanked by paired Doric columns supporting an iron balcony, with a round arch holding a bust above and a pediment at the top. A clock tower stands at the northeast corner.
The council moved to this site in 1326. In August 1536 Charles V took Aix and his ally Charles III of Savoy had the town hall and municipal archives burned; only a few minute books survived. Rebuilt by 1538, it was dilapidated by 1652, when the council commissioned Pierre Pavillon's neoclassical ashlar building, completed in 1668. A clock tower with a bell frame dates from 1510, an astronomical clock from 1661.
The first-floor Salle des États de Provence was decorated in the early 18th century by Joseph Cellony, his son Joseph André Cellony and Louis René Vialy. A series of portraits of the Counts of Provence and Kings of France was later hung there. The room's name recalls that the Estates of Provence met in this building.
The building functions as an active administrative center, but visitors can explore its architectural features during open hours when no official meetings are scheduled. It is best to check ahead about access availability.
The clock tower adjoining the hall was fitted with an astronomical clock in 1661. A plaque on the tower commemorates the liberation of Aix on 21 August 1944 by the American 3rd Infantry Division, supported by the French Forces of the Interior.
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