History Aigues-Mortes

1 history

1.1 antiquity
1.2 middle ages
1.3 modern , contemporary periods
1.4 massacre of italians (august 1893)

history
antiquity

the foundation of city said have been gaius marius, around 102bc there no documentary evidence support this.

a roman name of peccius fitted out first salt marsh , gave name marsh of peccais. salt mining started neolithic period , continued in hellenistic period, ancient uses of saline have not resulted in major archaeological discovery. remains destroyed modern saline facilities.

middle ages

louis ix on ship departing aigues-mortes, seventh crusade



map of aigues-mortes , access sea



aigues-mortes plan

in 791, charlemagne erected matafère tower amid swamps safety of fishermen , salt workers. argue signaling , transmission of news not foreign building of tower designed give warning in case of arrival of fleet, magne tower @ nîmes.

the purpose of tower part of war plan , spiritual plan charlemagne granted @ benedictine abbey, dedicated opus dei (work of god) , incessant chanting, day , night, designate convent psalmody or psalmodi. monastery still existed in 812, confirmed act of endowment made badila nîmes @ abbey.

at time, people lived in reed huts , made living fishing, hunting, , salt production several small salt marshes along sea shore. region under rule of monks abbey of psalmody.

in 1240, louis ix, wanted rid of influence of italian navy transporting troops crusades, focused on strategic position of kingdom. @ time, marseille belonged brother charles of anjou, king of naples, agde, count of toulouse, , montpellier, , king of aragon. louis ix wanted direct access mediterranean sea. obtained town , surrounding lands exchange of properties monks of abbey. residents exempt salt tax levied can take salt unconstrained.

he built road between marshes , built carbonnière tower serve watchtower , protect access city. saint-louis built constance tower on site of old matafère tower, house garrison. in 1272, son , successor, philip iii bold, ordered continuation of construction of walls encircle small town. work not completed 30 years.

this city louis ix twice departed crusades: seventh crusade in 1248 , again eighth crusade in 1270 tunis died of dysentery.

the year 1270 has been established, mistakenly many historians, last step of process initiated @ end of 11th century. judgment hasty because transfer of crusaders or mercenaries harbour of aigues-mortes continued after year. order given in 1275 sir guillaume de roussillon philip iii bold , pope gregory x after council of lyons in 1274 reinforce saint-jean d acre in east shows maritime activity continued ninth crusade never took place.

there popular belief sea reached aigues-mortes in 1270. in fact, confirmed studies of engineer charles leon dombre, whole port of aigues-mortes, including port itself, in marette pond, canal-viel , grau louis, canal viel being access channel sea. grau-louis approximately @ modern location of la grande-motte.

at beginning of 14th century, philip fair used fortified site incarcerate templars. between 8 , 11 november 1307, forty-five of them put question, found guilty, , held prisoner in tower of constance.

modern , contemporary periods

aigues-mortes still retained privileges granted kings. curiously great protestant in person of jean d harambure said one-eyed light horse commander of king henry iv , former governor of vendôme should appointed governor of aigues-mortes , carbonnière tower on 4 september 1607. this, took oath before constable of france henri de montmorency, governor of languedoc. 1 catholic, lord of berichère, supported rival adrien de chanmont. conflict continued until 1612, , harambure, supported pastors of lower languedoc , inhabitants, finished personal appeal queen. resigned on 27 february 1615 in favour of son jean d harambure, king louis xiii restored him 6 years. on 27 july 1616 resigned again in favour of gaspard iii de coligny, not without obtaining token of appreciation judges , consuls of city.

at beginning of 15th century, important works being undertaken facilitate access aigues-mortes sea. old grau-louis, dug crusades, replaced grau-de-la-croisette , port dug @ base of tower of constance. lost importance 1481 when provence , marseille attached kingdom of france. exploitation of peccais salt marshes encouraged françois i, in 1532, connect salt industry of aigues-mortes sea. channel, said grau-henry, silted in turn. opening, in 1752, of grau-du-roi solved problem while. final solution found in 1806 connecting aigues-mortes river port through canal du rhône à sète.

from 1575 1622, aigues-mortes 1 of 8 safe havens granted protestants. revocation of edict of nantes in 1685 caused severe repression of protestantism, marked in languedoc , cévennes in 18th century camisard war. other towers in town, 1686 onwards, constance tower used prison huguenots refused convert roman catholicism. in 1703, abraham mazel, leader of camisards, managed escape sixteen companions.

during french revolution, city called port-pelletier. @ time port had disappeared due silting, induced intensification of labour in watershed @ same time clearing of woods , forests following abolition of privileges. decline of forest cover led soil erosion , consequently greater quantity of alluvial deposits in ports of region. thus, in 1804 prefect mr. de barante père wrote in report that: coasts of department more prone silting ... ports of maguelonne , aigues mortes , old port of cette no longer exist except in history alerted: inordinate desire collect , multiply these forest clearings since 1790 ... greed has devoured in few years resource of future, mountains, opened plough, show naked , barren rock, each groove becoming ravine; topsoil, driven storms, has been brought rivers, , thence lower parts, serves every day find lowest parts , darkest swamps.

the massacre of italians (august 1893)


massacre of italian saltworkers @ aigues-mortes

in summer of 1893, compagnie des salins du midi launched recruiting campaign workers threshing , lifting of salt. hiring reduced due economic crisis hit europe, prospect of finding seasonal job attractive in year , there greater number of workers looking work.

these divided 3 categories nicknamed:

ardèche peasants, not native ardèche, leave land @ time of season;
piedmontese consisting of italians throughout northern italy , locally recruited team leaders: chefs du colle;
tramps composed of vagabonds.

because of recruitment operated compagnie des salins du midi, chefs de colle forced compose teams including both french , italians. in morning of 16 august 1893 fight broke out between 2 communities turned struggle of honour.

despite intervention of justice of peace , police, situation rapidly degenerated. tramps met in aigues-mortes and, saying italians had killed aiguemortais, swelled ranks of population , of people had not managed find employment.

a group of italians attacked , tried take refuge in bakery rioters wanted burn. prefect called troops @ 4am, did not arrive on scene until 18 hours after drama.

early in morning, situation escalated , rioters moved peccais saltfields there largest number of italians. police captain cabley, trying provide protection, promised rioters hunt italians , escort them aigues-mortes police station. during journey italians attacked rioters massacred crowd police unable contain. there 7 dead , fifty wounded, of whom had lifelong consequences. largest massacre of immigrants in modern history of france , 1 of biggest scandals in judicial history because no condemnation ever pronounced.

the case became diplomatic issue , transalpine (italian) foreign press took cause of italians. there anti-french riots in italy. diplomatic solution found , parties compensated while nationalist mayor marius terras forced resign.

a theatrical play serge valletti called dirty august based on tragic events.