Bonjour mes amis!
Aigues-Mortes rises from the flat, shimmering wetlands of the Petite Camargue, between Nîmes and Montpellier. Its golden ring of medieval partitions stands out for miles throughout the marshes. Round it, salt swimming pools glow pink in summer season and flamingos wade within the lagoons.
Contained in the ramparts, a grid of slim streets results in shaded squares and vigorous café terraces. King Louis IX based the city in 1240, and its partitions nonetheless stand full at the moment. For lovers of historical past, gentle and wide-open landscapes, it’s a must-see.
Aigues-Mortes sits simply subsequent door to , our seaside base within the South of France. For that cause, it’s the very first place we take our vacationers. Right here is every thing you’ll want to know earlier than you go to.
Aigues-Mortes at a Look
| The place | Gard, Occitanie, on the sting of the Camargue. About 4 miles (6 km) from the ocean at Le Grau-du-Roi |
| Say it | “Egg-mort” |
| Which means | From the Latin Aquae Mortuae (“useless waters”), for the nonetheless marshes throughout |
| Based | 1240, by King Louis IX (Saint Louis) |
| Well-known for | An entire circuit of medieval ramparts, the Tower of Constance and pink salt marshes |
| Native treats | Candy fougasse, Camargue fleur de sel and vin des sables (sand wine) |
| Time wanted | Two hours for the previous city. Half a day with the ramparts and the salt marshes |
| Strolling | Flat and straightforward contained in the partitions. Stairs and uneven stone on the ramparts |
Why Aigues-Mortes Was Constructed within the Center of a Marsh
Within the thirteenth century, the dominion of France had no port of its personal on the Mediterranean. Provence belonged to the Holy Roman Empire, and Montpellier answered to the King of Aragon. Because of this, a French king who wished to sail east needed to ask his neighbors for a harbor.
Louis IX refused to rely on anybody. In 1240, he obtained a strip of marshland from the monks of Psalmodi Abbey. It was a wierd place to construct. The land was empty, the water was brackish, and each stone needed to be introduced in. To draw settlers, the king granted a beneficiant constitution in 1246, with uncommon freedoms and tax breaks.
Two years later, in 1248, Louis sailed from Aigues-Mortes on the Seventh Campaign, certain for Egypt. He left once more in 1270 on the Eighth Campaign and died that summer season exterior Tunis. The Church made him a saint in 1297, and he stays the one king of France ever canonized. He is identical king who constructed the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to accommodate his most treasured relic, the Crown of Thorns. It was consecrated in April 1248, simply months earlier than he sailed from Aigues-Mortes. That’s the reason so many statues present him holding the crown. Right this moment, the French merely name him Saint Louis.
Louis IX needed to work with the land he may get, and it didn’t contact the open sea. Ships reached the city by a series of lagoons and a channel dug towards the coast. Over time, sand and silt clogged that route. Then, in 1481, Provence grew to become a part of the dominion of France. Marseille, a much more handy harbor, grew to become the dominion’s primary port on the Mediterranean.
Normally, a city that loses its function additionally loses its partitions, as individuals carry off the stones to construct elsewhere. Aigues-Mortes stored its ramparts. The salt marshes by no means stopped working and stored the city affluent. The wind right here can be brutal, and the partitions stopped sand from blowing into the streets. In actual fact, Saint Louis had wished them partly for that cause.
A king wanted a port, so he constructed one in the course of a salt marsh.
Be a part of us! Our South of France small-group excursions
go to Aigues-Mortes.
The Ramparts of Aigues-Mortes: A Mile of Medieval Partitions
Louis IX deliberate the ramparts however by no means noticed them. Work started in 1272, two years after his dying, beneath his son Philip III. It was completed round 1300 beneath his grandson, Philip the Honest.
The result’s an virtually good rectangle of stone, 1,640 meters round. That’s simply over a mile. The partitions rise about 11 meters (36 toes) and are practically 3 meters (10 toes) thick. 5 giant gates and 5 smaller ones open onto the streets inside.
Above all, the ramparts are full. You possibly can stroll the entire circuit alongside the highest, which is uncommon in France. On one facet, you look down on terracotta roofs and hidden gardens. On the opposite, the view stretches throughout marshes, canals and white hills of salt.
If in case you have seen Carcassonne, you’ll discover the distinction without delay. Carcassonne is a hilltop fortress topped with turrets. Aigues-Mortes, in contrast, is low, flat and extreme, a royal city drawn with a ruler. The Impressionist painter Frédéric Bazille beloved that stark define. He painted the partitions in 1867, glowing above the lagoon.
The Tower of Constance: Fortress, Lighthouse and Jail
One tower stands other than the partitions, on the northwest nook. The Tower of Constance is older than the ramparts. Louis IX had it constructed within the 1240s to protect his new port. Its partitions are 6 meters (20 toes) thick. A small turret on high served as a lighthouse. A fireplace burned in its iron lantern to information ships into port.
Later, the tower discovered a darker use. In 1685, Louis XIV outlawed the Protestant religion in France. From the next yr, Protestants who refused to transform had been locked contained in the Tower of Constance. Ultimately, it held solely girls.
Marie Durand and the Phrase within the Stone
Essentially the most well-known prisoner was Marie Durand. She entered the tower in 1730, on the age of 19. Her brother was a Protestant pastor, and he or she wouldn’t surrender her religion. She stayed for 38 years and was lastly launched in 1768.
Within the higher room, one phrase is scratched into the stone rim of the central opening: REGISTER. It means “resist” within the native dialect. Custom credit Marie Durand with carving it. French Protestants have by no means forgotten her, and guests nonetheless climb the tower to see that phrase.
One phrase is scratched into the stone of her jail: REGISTER. Resist.
Contained in the Partitions: Place Saint-Louis and the Outdated City
Most guests enter by the Porte de la Gardette, the principle gate on the north facet. From there, the Grand Rue leads straight to Place Saint-Louis. This leafy sq. is the guts of city, ringed with café terraces beneath the aircraft bushes.
Saint Louis nonetheless presides over the city he based. His grand bronze statue rises on the middle of the sq., going through the Porte de la Gardette. The sculptor James Pradier made it in 1849, an enduring reminder of the king who constructed Aigues-Mortes.
Simply steps away is the church of Notre-Dame-des-Sablons, constructed within the king’s personal time. A marble plaque on the church tells its proudest story. Right here, Saint Louis and his knights obtained the cross from the Pope’s envoys earlier than each crusades, in 1248 and 1270. Crusaders wore that fabric cross sewn onto their garments because the signal of their vow. That’s the place the French phrase for crusader comes from: croisé means “marked with the cross.” Search for the plaque and its rallying cry, Dieu le veut (“God wills it”)
Right this moment, the church is easy and calm inside. Fashionable stained glass by the artist Claude Viallat fills the previous stone with brilliant shade.
Then merely wander. The streets run in straight strains, simply because the royal planners drew them. You’ll discover artwork galleries, salt retailers and bakeries. Each avenue additionally ends at a gate, so you can not get misplaced.
Pink Salt and Flamingos: The Salt Marshes of Aigues-Mortes
Salt was right here lengthy earlier than the king. Folks have gathered it on this coast since historic instances. Right this moment, the Salin d’Aigues-Mortes covers practically 10,000 hectares (about 24,000 acres) on the foot of the partitions. It’s the largest salt works on the Mediterranean.
In summer season, the shallow swimming pools flip a startling pink. The colour comes from a tiny algae that thrives in very salty water. The identical pigment passes up the meals chain and tints the flamingos too. In the meantime, the harvested salt is piled into gleaming white hills referred to as camelles.
Essentially the most prized product is fleur de sel (“flower of salt”). These delicate crystals kind on the floor of the water and are skimmed off by hand. You possibly can store for genuine fleur de sel from Aigues-Mortes right here (affiliate hyperlink). From spring to fall, slightly vacationer practice carries guests by the salt works in about 75 minutes.
What to Style in Aigues-Mortes
- Fougasse d’Aigues-Mortes: Neglect the savory olive bread of Provence. Right here, fougasse is a mushy, candy brioche with sugar, butter and orange blossom. It was as soon as a Christmas deal with, and now the bakeries promote all of it yr.
- Fleur de sel de Camargue: Search for the little spherical tubs with a cork lid. They’re gentle to pack and make an ideal reward.
- Vin des sables: Vines develop within the sand round Aigues-Mortes. Within the nineteenth century, a tiny insect referred to as phylloxera destroyed most French vineyards, but it couldn’t survive in sand. Right this moment, these vineyards are identified for pale, refreshing rosé.
- Gardianne de taureau: This slow-cooked bull stew is the traditional dish of the Camargue. It tastes very similar to boeuf bourguignon and is historically served with native rice.
Sensible Ideas for Visiting Aigues-Mortes
- Getting there: Regional trains hyperlink Nîmes, Aigues-Mortes and Le Grau-du-Roi. The station is a five-minute stroll from the partitions.
- The previous city is free: You possibly can stroll the streets and squares at any hour. Solely the ramparts and the Tower of Constance require a ticket.
- Examine the closing time: The monument closes at 5:30 pm from September by April and at 7:00 pm in summer season. Final entry is 45 minutes earlier.
- Convey a hat and water: The rampart stroll has virtually no shade. In summer season, go as quickly because it opens.
- Put on flat footwear: The city itself is flat and straightforward. Nevertheless, the rampart stroll has stairs and uneven stone.
- Keep for the night: After the day guests depart, the partitions flip gold and the squares develop quiet. It’s our favourite time to be there.
- See the salt marshes individually: The salt works entrance is exterior the partitions, on the highway to Le Grau-du-Roi. Excursions run in season solely, so verify the dates first.
Uncover Aigues-Mortes With Us
Aigues-Mortes is the primary cease on our 8-Day South of France Tour. On Day 1, we collect for a welcome drink at our seaside resort in Le Grau-du-Roi. Then we drive just some minutes to the walled metropolis.
As night settles in, our Tour Chief leads a brief strolling tour by the gates and the previous streets. Afterward, we sit down collectively contained in the partitions for our Welcome Dinner. It’s your first shared French meal of the journey, and a stunning approach to meet your fellow vacationers.
From there, the week unfolds throughout Provence, Languedoc and the Camargue. We go to Arles, Avignon, the Pont du Gard, Carcassonne and a working Camargue ranch. Each night time, you come back to the identical sea-view room. With not more than 16 vacationers, it’s a relaxed and private approach to uncover the South of France.
Discover the 8-Day South of France Tour →
Maintain Studying
À bientôt, mes amis
Julia
