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Small partial panorama looking up at the ruins of the Medieval fortress in the "dead city" of Les Baux. Les Baux-de-Provence is a short drive from where we stayed for five days in St. Remy-de-Provence. The "live city" is below the ruins and is a cute "tourist-trap." The large, heavily patrolled parking area is full of cars and busses most every day from Spring to Fall.

Some historical notes: Les Baux has been occupied as a defensive site throughout history.

  • Celtic-Ligurian: signs of these ancient peoples have been found here, and there are both Celtic-Ligurian and Roman necropolis nearby to the north.

  • Roman: Several Roman artifacts, including burial tombs and stèles (monoliths) mark this as a Roman defensive town.

  • Medieval: The "Baux" family ruled from the 9th century until 1426 when the last of the lords died. Baux was integrated into the county of Provence, and then became part of France, along with Provence, in 1481. When the population revolted at this integration, Louis XI responded by "dismantling" the chateau. Baux became a barony, eventually ruled by Anne de Montmorency who rebuilt the castle and built the social life of the town to royal proportions.

Notes from http://www.beyond.fr/villages/baux.html .


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