Rue des Étuves

Rue des Étuves takes its name from the medieval public bathhouses, or etuves, that once occupied this narrow strip in Aix-en-Provence. In the fourteenth century, these communal steam baths served as central hubs for hygiene and local gossip. Though the baths vanished long ago, the street maintains its claustrophobic, compressed feel, designed originally to keep out the harsh Mistral wind. A heavy stone archway still stands near the passage, marking a transition point from the old city walls into the residential quarter.