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What is the exact origin of the word ‘Aigues` ?
If one makes a list of the number of fountains, vals
( dry river beds punctually filled by torrential rains), rivers and small streams which represent a wealth of water in this valley, one could be led to think that the term ‘Aigues` simply comes from the French word ‘eau`.
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This is not entirely accurate.
In fact this term comes from the `pagus aquensis`
the land around Aix.
The region owes it’s name to the capital, Aix, on which it depended for religious matters. ‘Agues’ represents the normal phonetic pronunciation resulting from the Latin adjective ‘aquensis’ and referring to it’s adherence to the churches of Aix.
The adhesion of this territory to that of Aix dates back to antiquity.
We know from reliable sources and confirmation from several finds that the Vallée d’Aigues has been inhabited since Neolithic times. But it’s still the Roman and pre-Roman periods which have left the most visible remains up until now. `Oppida pre-roman` on the site of Saint Julien at the Bastidonne, Saint Martin and the Motte are areas of `villae antiques`
A very realistic bas-relief of a scene of towing from the Gallo-Roman era has been discovered at
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Cabrières d’Aigues. There is very little historic data on the Vallée concerning the early and late Middleages. The place names of certain of our villages like La Tour, Vitrolles, Beaumont, Saint Martin, Mirabeau, La Motte, appeared between the 10thcentury and the 12th C. Others like the Bastidonne, the Bastide, Peypin, Cabrières only came about between the 13th and 14th centuries. |
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| Gallo-Roman bas-relief found in Cabrières d’Aigues |
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Modern History.
From the middle of the 14th century, none of these villages escaped a series of scourges : epidemics, wars, banditry, nor the economic and demographic recession taking place. After this period of depopulation of the countryside, farmers arrived from the Alpes, either alone or in groups. They were all mainly Roman Catholics, but some of them attracted attention ; they called themselves `Christ’s Poor` and wanted to live their Christianity according to the deepest respect for the word of the Bible. This religious movement was born in Lyon in the 11th century and was very quickly singled out by the Inquisitors. They were hounded under the name Vaudois as they were the disciples of a certain Pierre Valdo, a rich merchant from Lyon who had abandoned everything in order to follow the teachings of Christ..
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The Residential Act of 10th March 1495 |
The Residential Acts from the end of the 15th century clearly show the arrival in our valley of these unusual people from the Alps ; the residential act of Cabrières d’Aigues for example, mentions the arrival on the 10th of March 1495 of 75 vaudois families coming from a village in the high valleys of the Alps, `Freissinières`.
Already chased out of Dauphiné and Piemont for religious deviance, it was not long before they suffered the same fate for the same reasons because of the Inquisition and the Parliament in Aix. The height of the persecution of these people was in April 1545 during a week of bloodshed known as the `Execution of Cabrières and Merindol`. |
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"St Pierre aux liens" church -14th C
La Bastide des Jourdans |
An enormous number of them were massacred, others managed to escape the rabble by fleeing to the Luberon mountains.
The `Dame de Central`, tutor of the young Lord of the Tour d’Aigues, lodged a complaint with the King of France, Francois I. He died soon after without having interceded. Nevertheless the complaint resulted in a Trial ordered by King Henry II who asked the Parliament in Paris to treat the Matter in order to condemn the executions. During this long period the survivors were gradually able to take back their lands. They are known henceforth as Protestants (Huguenots).
We are at the dawn of the religious wars which result in much bloodshed.
In our more recent history we encounter some great and honourable names such as Mirabeau, the great revolutionary orator, or Irma and Sosthène Reybaud, resistance heroes during the second World War.
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