Aigues-Mortes, a walled Medieval town in the Petite Camargue area of Provence, has a prestigious heritige and is known for its 13th-century military architecture. In fact, it still looks much the same today as it did in the Middle Ages. Its name comes from aquae mortuae, meaning "dead waters" for the surrounding saline delta marshland terraine from which comes the prized Fleur de Sel de Camargue.
A port for commerce was built here in 1240 according to the plans of French Crusader King Louis IX (Saint Louis), which assisted him in launching his crusades to the Holy Land from here. The Tower de Constance was initially built by Louis to protect the workers during the construction of the town. The town's fortifications were built by the next two kings of France, his son Philip III (the Bold) and his grandson Philip IV (the Fair).
Following a century of royal priviledge, the port area silted up and the town fell into neglect. Aigues-Mortes, since it has never been greatly restored, seems frozen in time. Strolling above the town on its ramparts, you can't avoid being swept up by its history and its unique and original architectural elements. There are clues into its past just about everywhere you look.
Back on the ground walking the "Petit Rue" one can inspect the architectural history much more closely. The angled patterns of the stones, which have softened with age, the doorways, windows and shutters all form a caleidoscope of subtle contrasts.
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