Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (; , ; ), or simply Aix (; medieval Occitan "Aics"), is a city-commune in the south of France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix numbers approximately 143,000. Its inhabitants are called "Aixois" or, less commonly, "Aquisextains". Aix ("Aquae Sextiae") was founded in 123 BC by the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus, who gave his name to its springs, following the destruction of the nearby Gallic oppidum at Entremont. In 102 BC its
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence followed by the crop sector (mostly grain) with 740 farms with the rest in the livestock sector. One of the characteristics of the department is that there are 614 farms devoted to breeding animals other than cattle. These are for the breeding of sheep and goats, including the production of milk used for cheese making under Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for Banon cheese. The winemakers of Pierrevert also have an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) ranking for their production. The Alpes de Hautes-Provence department is a region where 49.1% of the area is forested or 343,691 hectares, with an average rate