Terrain contenant les vestiges archéologiques du Jardin de Grassi (675 m2)
MonumentHidden Treasure
Beneath the gardens of Aix-en-Provence lie the remains of the Jardin de Grassi, an archaeological site listed as a Historic Monument and revealing two millennia of human presence in the heart of the city of King René.
History
In the heart of Aix-en-Provence, a city whose soil contains one of the finest archaeological stratigraphies in Provence, the Jardin de Grassi site is an exceptional testimony to the successive layers of human occupation since Antiquity. These 675 square metres, listed as a Historic Monument since 1958, represent much more than just a piece of land: they are a window onto the long history of Aquae Sextiae, the Roman city founded in 122 BC by the consul Caius Sextius Calvinus. What the soil preserves here is the stratified memory of a city that was never abandoned. The remains unearthed in this garden bear witness to the architectural and urban wealth of Aix through the ages: opus signinum floors characteristic of the Roman era, wall foundations, ancient pipes and decorative elements that evoke the prosperity of a leading spa town and administrative centre in Narbonne Gaul. What makes this site so special is its location within the historic urban fabric of Aix, in a district where the mansions of the Provençal nobility have covered over, without totally destroying, the strata of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The very name 'Jardin de Grassi' evokes the great families of the Aix bourgeoisie who shaped the city's architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries. For the curious visitor with a passion for heritage, this site is an invitation to reflect on the invisible: most of what was discovered here is no longer visible to the naked eye, but its protection guarantees that future generations will still be able to learn from this precious soil. The visit fits naturally into a tour of the historic centre of Aix, with its sparkling fountains, its Cours Mirabeau and its archaeological museums displaying finds from similar excavations.
Architecture
Strictly speaking, the Jardin de Grassi archaeological site has no visible architecture above ground: its wealth lies underground, in the strata accumulated over more than two millennia of human occupation. However, the remains uncovered during the excavations reveal architectural features typical of provincial Roman town planning: opus signinum (waterproof pink tile mortar) floors, sections of wall in regular coursing, traces of terracotta pipes and fragments of painted plaster testifying to the care taken with the interior decoration of ancient homes. The protected area of 675 square metres corresponds to an island in the historic urban fabric of Aix, set between the 17th- and 18th-century buildings that make up the surrounding built environment. These Baroque and Classical mansions, characteristic of the "Pays d'Aix", have paradoxically contributed to the preservation of the remains by preventing major ground disturbances caused by more recent buildings. The materials identified during the excavations reflect the local resources and techniques of Antiquity in Provence: limestone from the Pays d'Aix, local clay roof tiles, lime mortar and sand. The superimposed medieval levels bear witness to a continuity of occupation with lighter structures, while the modern features associated with the de Grassi family's garden - probably paved paths, ponds and retaining walls - form the most recent layer of the stratigraphic millefeuille.
Related Figures
Caius Sextius Calvinus — consul romain fondateur d'Aquae Sextiae en 122 av. J.-C.La famille de Grassi — famille de la haute bourgeoisie aixoise, propriétaire et aménageur du jardin aux XVIIe-XVIIIe sièclesFernand Benoit — archéologue provençal majeur du XXe siècle, directeur des Antiquités de Provence, acteur des premières fouilles urbaines aixoisesCaius Marius — général romain ayant utilisé Aquae Sextiae comme base lors de la bataille contre les Teutons en 102 av. J.-C., figure tutélaire de l'histoire de la villeLe comte de Provence René d'Anjou — souverain ayant fait d'Aix sa capitale au XVe siècle, impulsant le développement du quartier noble environnant
