Aigues-Mortes and Saint Louis

Saint Louis came to Aigues-Mortes twice, in 1248 and 1270, before leaving on Crusades.

Aigues-Mortes

Sited to the west of the Rhône valley, in the Little Camargue, Aigues-Mortes owes its name (literally, “dead-waters”) to the surrounding marshes.

In 1240, the King Saint-Louis gained ownership of the town and the surrounding coastline from the monks of the Psalmody Abby, located near Saint Laurent d’Aigouze. The geographical location of the town and the income it derived from the salt-production, known as the “gabelle”, were mainly what interested him.

He undertook to build up the size of the town and construct the port (the sea was closer then) so as to be able to use Aigues-Mortes as a base for the Crusades.

In 1241 Saint Louis ordered the construction of the ramparts, which began with the Tour de Constance. He died of plague in Tunis in 1270.