Aix derives from Latin Aquae (literally, "waters";
cf Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) or
Aix-en-Provence), and Aix was a bath during the Roman Empire, even before it
was renamed Aquae Gratianae to
commemorate the Emperor Gratian, who was assassinated not far away, in Lyon, in
383. Numerous Roman ruins survive.
Aix-les-bains became a popular spa hotspot
at the end of the 19th century welcoming
