This dramatic wall behind me is part of the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes. It was started by Louis IX as a base of operations for the crusades in the name of Christianity. Aigues-Mortes is situated in the region known as the Petit-Camargue, known for its flora and fauna. Let’s take a look inside Aigues-Mortes.
Enter the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes through imposing gates that were built in the 13th century.
Inside the walls, Aigues-Mortes has all the charm of a French village. You’ll find restaurants where you may be tempted to sip a glass of rose and shops featuring the best of French fashion – all set within a wonderful historical context
Your guided walking tour will take you along the narrow streets to learn about the history of the region.
I stepped into the beautiful Church of Notre-Dame-des-Sablons a Gothic-style church that was built during the time of Saint-Louis.
Saint Louis or Louis IX came here in the 13th century because he had wanted a fortress with direct access to the Mediterranean. This was to become the base of his Crusades.
He left the city twice to follow the cause of the Crusades, once in 1248 and again in 1270, where he died of dysentery in Tunisia at the age of 56.
I reflected that the ninth king of France probably had no idea that he would not see the fortified walls of Aigues-Mortes again. Inside the church there is statue of Saint-Louis.
My lasting impression was that the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes with its beautiful salt flats and flamingoes and with its storied legends of a king and his crusades mark the perfect ending to a day in this region of the Petit Camargue.
