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Aigues Mortes
The city of Saint Louis
Aigues-Mortes owes its name to Marsh who environnaient the city (Eaux Mortes - Aquae Mortae). The rest of the time part of the plain wet and ponds of the Petite Camargue, and the tradition of saline. Aigues Mortes is also linked to the Mediterranean Sea through the Grau du Roi, but unlike the legend, the sea is never coming bathe the ramparts of the city.
The reputation of Aigues Mortes will be born in 1240, when Saint Louis, wishing to enjoy easy access to the Mediterranean, the monks bought the city and its territories.
Thereafter, he built a road between the marshes and built the Tour Carbonnière to serve as a watchtower and protect access to the city. The Tour Carbonière, just outside the city, can be visited for free.
He then will make the Tour de Constance to house its garrison. From this stronghold thus constituted, Saint Louis went twice to the Crusades: the seventh in 1248 and eighth in 1270 for Tunis, where he died of the plague.
In 1272, the son and successor of Saint Louis, Philip the Bold, ordered the creation of a pregnant Around the city walls. The work that would culminate 30 years later.
The visit of the city and its walls offers remarkable monuments as the Tower of Constance, built between 1242 and 1254. Its diameter is 22m, its height at the top of the lantern is to 33m. The thickness of walls at the base east of 6m. On the first floor, you can access the room knights. It resembles the structure of the hall guards. It is in this room that were imprisoned in the eighteenth century Protestant whose most famous Marie Durand, which was engraved on the edge of the pits the word "resist". This word is still visible today.
Note also in Aigues Mortes "Notre Dame des Sablons", probably built before the ramparts around the middle of the thirteenth century. Collegiate in 1537, she was sacked by the Protestants in 1575.
After the reconstruction of the tower in 1634 she became successively during the French Revolution, temple of Reason, barracks, stores and warehouse grain of salt. It was made for worship in 1804 and renovated from 1964 to 1967.
Finally, you walk on the Place Saint-Louis, tourist heart of Aigues Mortes. In its center is erected the statue of Saint Louis, Pradier work in 1849.
By road, Aigues-Mortes is about 35 km from Nimes and 30 km from Montpellier
Pictures of Aigues Mortes
Around Aigues Mortes
Nîmes - Saintes Maries de la Mer - Camargue - Tarascon - Salon de Provence - Saint Rémy de Provence - Arles - Beaucaire - Fontvieille - Maussane les Alpilles - Baux de Provence - Alpilles