Citadel of Crusaders
by W Chris Fooshee
Title
Citadel of Crusaders
Artist
W Chris Fooshee
Medium
Photograph
Description
Situated near the Mediterranean coast in the middle of the marshlands and lagoons of the Camargue in southern France, the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes, France is considered an outstanding example of 13th-century military architecture. It appears today very much as it did in the Middle Ages. The Medieval town is surrounded by a rectangular rampart, 1640 m (1 mile) in circumference, with four corner towers and a dozen other towers along the walls which guard the gates or portes to the town. The walls range from 7.5 – 10 m (25 - 36 ft) in height and are more than 2.5 m (8 ft) thick.
In 1240, France had no port access to the Mediterranean, King Louis IX purchased the land at the mouth of the Rhone to establish a port city. When in 1245 Pope Innocent IV called upon European powers to crusade in the Middle East, the French King was in a good position to respond via a sea route. Louis led two Crusades from Aigues-Mortes, the Seventh Crusade in 1248 and the Eighth in 1270, however, the King never returned after contracting typhus in northern Africa.
After France acquired better Mediterranean ports in Marseilles and elsewhere, Aigues-Mortes’s importance declined, and its port silted up. Unfortunately, the city was not destined to become a major port city in southern France. It became economically remote and isolated, which helped preserve its medieval culture and history within its protective walls.
Uploaded
August 21st, 2022
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