Fontaine de l'Hotel de Ville, Classified historical monument and fountain in Aix-en-Provence, France

The fontaine de la place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville is a classified historical monument and fountain standing on the main square of Aix-en-Provence, directly in front of the town hall. It is made up of a circular stone basin, a cube-shaped pedestal carved with garlands and masks, and a central granite column topped with a stone sphere bearing a laurel branch.

In 1737 Georges Vallon restructured the town centre and created a square in front of the Hôtel-de-Ville. In 1756 the city decided to place a fountain there, entrusting the whole work to Esprit Joseph Brun; the sculpted parts were carved by Jean-Pacrace Chastel. The column, topped by a Corinthian capital and a sphere of Calissanne stone with a gilded laurel branch, is said to come from the ruins of the comtal palace. The monument has been classified as a historical monument since 1905.

The pedestal carries Latin inscriptions that were replaced over time depending on the political regime in power. Visitors who look closely can still read these texts and notice how the same stone was made to serve very different messages across the centuries.

The fountain sits in the middle of the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the old town. Walking slowly around the full structure gives a better view of the carvings and inscriptions, which are spread across all four sides of the pedestal.

The sphere on top is made of Calissanne stone and carries a gilded laurel branch; the sources say it may come from the ruins of the counts' palace. The sculpted parts were entrusted to Jean-Pacrace Chastel, a well-known sculptor from Aix.