The port

THE PORT

To find a port both <extensive and sound<, such were the considerations of Saint Louis from the moment he conceived the plan of going on a crusade. The king did not hold a single town of his own on the mediterranean coast. Rather than resorting to BONS OFFICES of vassals of whose loyalty he was (rightly) doubtful, he preferred to trade with the Monks of Psalmody, who owned the land around Aigues-Mortes.

A widespread and long-held preconception claimed that Aigues-Mortes was once situated on the coast and that gradually, over the years, the sea has receded. However, authenticated documents show that this was never the case. The topography of the region has always remained very much the same, with the only real differences being that there were once expansive lagoons and the lakes, silted up with mud and sand, were once much deeper than we see now.

It is therefore evident that, in bygone days, Aigues-Mortes was a famous port, set inland and linked to the sea via a maritime chanel which can still be marked out by the twists and turns to the gradient of the land. Towards the XIIC the port began to gain something of a reputation. It’s importance, thanks to its location, made sure it was soon appreciated. Its ease of access attracted large and small vessels alike while both sailors and merchants found secure anchor and advantageous trade.

Saint Louis invested trade with an even greater boost. At the time of his first expedition he deepened both the <Etang de la ville> and the <old> canal thereby regulating the flow. Furthermore, he promoted commercial trading which attracted more merchants. From all side, large numbers of foreigners flooded to Aigues-Mortes to take benefit of the generous privileges afforded to the budding town.

From the outset, it was necessary to maintain the port and thus a port levy was introduced, <one denier in each pound of the value of the merchandise>. Abuses began to creep in year upon year, however. The kings paid no heed to the advice of Pope Clement IV and a further denier was taken. The proceeds of this new tax, instead of going towards the cost of upkeep of the port, went instead straight into the royal coffers.

The abuses became so striking that Charles VII declared that, as a right of entry, from that point on they would keep hol dof the deniers set out during the reign of King Jean.

The port of Aigues-Mortes enjoyed a further, exceptional privilege. All boats passing within sight of the Tour de Constance had to approach the port and pay a charge. This revenue should have totalled a considerable sum if one considers that qcross the entire Languedoc, by order of King Jean, <it was only possible to trade via the port of Aigues-Mortes>.

In the end, the successive floods by the Rhône and the Vidourle caused the surrounding terrain to become submerged in silt water, gradually blocking up the canal year upon year and obstructing the port and the lakes.

The prosperity of the surrounding regions depended entirely on the continuous upkeep of the port and the accessibility of the canal. This was understood by the house of deputy seneschals in Montpellier. They also determined to keep the canal constantly navigable.

Unfortunately, the link was under constant threat of becoming silted up by sand and the sea. Jean le Bon recognised the urgent nature of the reparation works and estimated them to be 4000 florins. Begun without further delay, the works lasted into the reign of Charles V. Charles VII was also very drawn to Aigues-Mortes and, as a result, the city was very attached to him. A fact which he received striking proof of during the savage battle between the Armagnacs and the Bourgignons.

But during the course of these long-standing maintenance works, the ships chose different routes and found new destinations. The air was unhealthy and the internal waters - unable to flow into the sea - were a breeding ground for putrid miasmas. Many inhabitants left the city altogether and those who stayed continued to battle the elements with perseverance and courage.

Receiving nothing further from either Charles VII or Louis XII, preoccupied with their war, the population of Aigues-Mortes were forced to undertake the most pressing reparation works themselves. But this was a task beyond the manpower and resources of a town impoverished by its decline.

In 1585, heavy flooding had caused a considerable rupture almost opposite the city, and the loss of salt ( from whose annual harvests the State levied heavy taxes) attracted the attention of the Government. A Advisory Edict during the reign of Louis XV ordered the construction of a waterway link which the town had attempted, in vain, to widen and consolidate.

Two wide roads of packed earth were thrown up across the lake at Repousset to protect the large blocks of stone. These roadworks were interrupted on a regular basis and weren’t finished until 1745. A more direct route was also constructed, and Aigues-Mortes was linked to the sea via the Roubine Canal. Both the Radelle and the Bougidou canals are older waterways, and their existence is intertwined with the existence of the town itself, with the Bourgidou a direct link to the Rhône. Passing beneath the walls of Aigues-Mortes, it changes its name and carries on to open into the Mauguio lake. The route ensured easy links with Montpellier and Lunel.

This was most significant for Montpellier which, since XIIICentury, could trade only with the city of Aigues-Mortes. The Beaucaire canal being a more recent construction.

The Roubine canal departs from the Grau du Roi to end up under the ramparts of the city and makes up part of the port itself. The town dug out this basin at its cost, but the floods of 1840 destroyed the quayside which originally totalled 300m in length.

Repair works began anew in 1845 when a larger, more accommodating quayside was constructed. It is this same dockside which runs over 400m from the Tour de Constance to the Tour de Bourgignons. The current port was therefore quite sizeable to provide shelter to smaller tonnage ships. Throughout the last (penultimate?) century coastal shipping accounted for between eleven and twelve thousand tonnes. Today, this has all but disappeared.