Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Sauveur church of Roquemartine, located below the castellas of the same name, dates mainly from the 14th century, although a place of worship is attested from the end of the 11th century. It consists of a two-span nave and a semicircular apse, with stone walls and a slab roof. Two curved doors, north and south, allow access. Originally parish church of the village of Roquemartine, it was attached to the commune of Eyguières in 1805.

The Roquemartine site, including the church and the ruined castle, forms a medieval complex perched on a rocky spur overlooking the plain. The castellas, also known as the "Castle of Queen Jeanne", was built between the 12th and 13th centuries by the family of Albe (or d'Aube), after the destruction of the first castrum in 1222 by Raimond Bérenger V. The church illustrates the religious organization of a Provencal village under seigneurial control, before its decline in the seventeenth century.

In the 14th century, Roquemartine played a strategic role during the estate crisis of Queen Jeanne Ire. The local community, faithful to Charles de Duras, resisted long after the surrender of Aix (1382-1387). The castle, taken and burned by the Tuchins and then by Raimond Roger de Beaufort in 1389, was finally released in 1399 by Marshal Boucicaut. These events mark the turbulent history of the site, before its gradual abandonment in favour of a new castle on the plain in the seventeenth century.

The Saint-Sauveur church and the ruins of the castellas have been listed as historical monuments since 1926. In 2022, the castle received funding through the Heritage Lotto for its restoration, aimed at securing and opening the site to the public. This project highlights the heritage importance of Roquemartine, a symbol of the medieval history of Provence between seigneurial conflicts and religious life.

The origins of Roquemartine date back to the end of the 11th century, when the lords Raimond, Gérald and Pons gave up some of their rights to the abbey Saint-Victor of Marseilles to finance their participation in the first crusade. In the 12th century, the site passed into the hands of the Lambesc family by alliance, before being confiscated and rebuilt by the Albe de Tarascon, faithful of the Count of Provence. These transformations reflect the political and military stakes of the region during the medieval period.

External links