CHATEAU DES BAUX PROVENCE
South of France Castle Ruins and Medieval Siege Machines
The
low green vineyard covered lands of Provence between Avignon and the
Mediterranean coast are framed
by great rough pearl-white cliff escarpments
jutting over the valleys like stone sentinels. Named for these imposing
rock plateaus of the Alpilles hills is the middle ages town of Baux de
Provence. These cliff locations made perfect sites in earlier times for
protective fortresses, once thought impregnable. But once mighty medieval
cities and forts couldn’t survive France’s religious wars
and the advance of Medieval siege technology.
The Chateau des Baux is one of the more impressive early castle ruins
in southern France, probably less for what is left of its castle structure
than its location on a magnificent stone plateau overlooking the Provence
plains between Avignon and Arles. This example of middle ages fortress
located where the Languedoc, Comptat Venaissin and Provence regions meet,
remains a witness to a violent military past of middle French castles
sieged by assaults (see also Fortress
Mornas). Originally constructed
in the 10th Century, the Lords of Les Baux and later Ducks of Provence
ruled from the castle for almost five hundred years. The medieval town
of Les Baux was known for its minstrels and troubadours, but the fortress
was ultimately destroyed in the 16th Century by the French kings.
In
the good travel months from April to September, the powerful siege machines
which brought down these great castle walls can be viewed in
action at the Chateau Des Baux. Three full-scale replicas of these massive
middle-ages warfare machines from original 13th century design plans
give visitors of all ages a look back into the military tactics of medieval
times. The 4 ton Catapult would throw large rocks, burning
balls of tar or even dead carrion to cause disease and sickness over
the walls of
a castle, up to a distance the length of a football field. The Trebuchet (see
also Warwick
Castle Trebuchet) was the most powerful of medieval
warfare siege machines, used to heave massive stone projectiles at the
walls
of castles, while the Battering Ram would storm the gates, pounding
with a steel tipped log while protected from arrows and boiling oil poured
from the walls above. Aside from the siege machines, the castle presents
medieval days shows and geographic history exhibits. Tours for adults
and families explain the history of the site and the times and for kids
a Treasure Hunt leads children from 7 to 12 along a fun trail of discoveries.
Older kids can try their hands at archery and other medieval skills.
The castle walls are mostly gone, while the remaining structures of the
castle complex at Chateau des Baux are the castle keep, the Sarrasine
tower which gets its name from the Saracens from Spain who would attack
from the south, the later era chapel and the Paravelle tower primarily
used as a lookout tower which rises above the Château courtyards
on one side and looks over the valley on the other. The medieval village
of
Baux des Provence remains much as it has for ages and the great plateau
provides an remarkable view over the vineyard lands of Provence.
Admission to the Chateau des Baux is around 7 euro for adults, with family
and group tickets available. The castle site is administered by France
CultureSpaces which also operates the Roman Amphitheater at Orange, north
of Avignon (see Roman Theater Antique) and the nearby Roman
Arena of Nimes west or Arles. Combined tickets reduces admission to the
other sites. The Chateau des Baux can be reached by car off the a 54
autoroute between the A7 and A9. Café and bookstore are available
at the site. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Find hotel deals and read reviews in Provence on TripAdvisor
Web Info
CultureSpaces
Provence Tourism
These
articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel
Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without
permission. Photos courtesy CultureSpaces.
See Also:
CHATEAU MARSANNAY: ROUTE GRAND CRUS
DIJON - BURGUNDY WINE, MUSTARD N' GARGOYLES
CHATEAU
ST MICHEL DE LANES - MANOR B&B NEAR CARCASSONE
