The cité d'Aigues-Mortes

The Cité d'Aigues-Mortes

Built out of nothing on the Camargue marshland, the Cité d'Aigues-Mortes was the fruit of one man's desire : Louis IX, the future Saint Louis, wanted to provide the kingdom of France with a port on the Mediterranean. This strategic vision of the future kingdom emphasised the determination of a sovereign who had decided to honour a sacred promise : to reconquer the Holy Land. The story of Aigues-Mortes's foundation is thus inextricably linked to political, religious, and maritime ambitions. From this port, Louis IX set off on the Seventh and Eighth Crusades, in 1248 and 1270 respectively.

Although examples of medieval military architecture are by no means lacking in France, the Cité d'Aigues-Mortes is remarkable on several accounts. Its first outstanding feature is its geographical location bordering on water and nature, in the Petite Camargue, the marshy plain formed by the Rhône delta and preserved over the ages. Aigues-Mortes's second distinctive feature is its « well-finished » appearance, which is both harmonious and magnificent. The third remarkable characteristic is the excellent condition of the existing site : the Tour de Constance and its 1,640-metre-long ramparts, flanked by fifteen defensive structures.