Les Alpes de lumière n°175 Les châteaux des Alpilles au Moyen Âge - Christine Martin-Portier

Les châteaux des Alpilles au Moyen Âge - Christine Martin-Portier - Les Alpes de lumière n°175

(castles of the Alpilles in the Middle Ages)

The history of the Alpilles and its many castles erected from the tenth century. These buildings, of which there are sometimes only ruins, have participated in the protection of populations or have allowed unscrupulous lords to crack down on the region.

To be interested in the Alpilles and their history is to invite oneself to enter a world where the human presence is as close as possible to the landscape and the relief. In the heart of a triangle formed by the cities of Tarascon, Arles and Aix, at the crossroads of the ancient vias Domitia, Aurelia and Agrippa, this modest mountain range has offered the inhabitants of the surrounding places sometimes impregnable defense sites, and served as "Soundbox" to the ups and downs of Provencal history, especially in the Middle Ages.


The many castles that have settled there have helped the people to better protect themselves, or, on the contrary, have allowed unscrupulous lords to crack down on the region. Their vestiges, sometimes spectacular, sometimes barely visible, tell an eventful history and high in feats of arms. Each, with its specificities, represents a link of a common destiny.

To highlight the link that exists between the various buildings, in the mirror of a common history, is what this book proposes.

It is aimed at the curious, the enlightened hikers, the lovers of Alpilles and their heritage. May he help them to (re) discover this particular and endearing region.

Collection Les Alpes de lumière n°175.
Editions Alpes de lumière.