Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du)
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du), located in Eyguières (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Eyguières, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.7154, 5.0327
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081250
Perched on a rocky spur overlooking the Crau plain, the medieval remains of Roquemartine castle stand between the sky and the garrigue, silent witnesses to an 11th-12th century Provencal seigniory.
History
Above the village of Eyguières, in the Alpilles mountains, the ruins of Roquemartine castle rise out of the limestone rock like a natural protrusion, offering breathtaking views over the Crau plain and the jagged relief of the Alpilles mountains. This medieval castle, of which only imposing remains today, belongs to the constellation of Provençal fortresses that dotted the heights to watch over the inland Mediterranean routes. What sets Roquemartine apart is less its state of preservation than the quality of its layout and the evocative power of its ruins. The remains of towers, curtain walls and Cyclopean masonry blend into the Alpilles landscape with an almost mineral consistency, as if the rock itself had produced these walls over the centuries. The site inspires photographers and lovers of plein air painting, who find in this Provençal light the same vibrancy that Cézanne sought in the landscapes of the region. The visit is as much a hiking experience as a heritage discovery. The path to the ruins leads through typical garrigue vegetation - holm oaks, rosemary, thyme and juniper - that perfumes the summer mornings. From the heights of the château, you can look out over the plain as far as the Etang de Berre and, on a clear day, the sea sparkles on the horizon. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1926, the Château de Roquemartine embodies the memory of a Provençal aristocracy who built their power on stone and the winds. Its walls, torn open by the centuries, retain their ability to tell stories, provided you stop and listen to the silence of the stones.
Architecture
Roquemartine castle belongs to the type of perched Provençal castles typical of the 11th and 12th centuries, whose design favours the use of the natural topography as the first line of defence. Situated on a limestone spur, the building took advantage of the cliff itself to form two or three of its defensive faces, thus reducing the perimeter that had to be fortified artificially. The remains reveal an irregularly-planned enclosure, following the curves of the rock, with sections of curtain wall made of local limestone cut into relatively regular blocks, a common technique in Romanesque Provence. The surviving elements bear witness to a construction typical of Provençal feudalism: large limestone walls with carefully-cut edges, foundations anchored directly in the bedrock, and probably circular or quadrangular towers at the corners of the enclosure. The Alpilles limestone, white to golden in the light, gives the ruins their characteristic hue, which blends into the surrounding landscape. The interior of the castle would have included a seigneurial dwelling set against the enclosure, a cistern - essential on this type of high site - and a castral chapel, traces of whose masonry can still be seen. Although devoid of any preserved sculpted decoration, the ruins of Roquemartine present a striking silhouette from the plain, a landscape quality that was probably a factor in the decision to protect them in 1926. The complex is a perfect illustration of Provençal Romanesque military architecture at its most austere and functional, without the Gothic refinements that were to appear in the region in the 13th century.
Related Figures
Seigneurs de Roquemartine (XIe-XIIIe siècles) — famille noble provençale fondatrice et propriétaire de la forteresseComtes de Provence (maison de Barcelone, XIIe siècle) — suzerains de la plupart des seigneuries des AlpillesCharles Ier d'Anjou (XIIIe siècle) — comte de Provence dont l'autorité s'exerça sur l'ensemble des châteaux de la régionRené d'Anjou (XVe siècle) — dernier comte de Provence indépendant, dont la politique de paix favorisa l'abandon progressif des forteressesLouis XI (1481) — roi de France sous lequel la Provence fut rattachée à la couronne, scellant le déclin des châteaux seigneuriaux
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du) located?
Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du) is located in Eyguières, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du) built?
Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du) dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du) open to visitors?
Château de Roquemartine (vestiges du) is currently closed to visitors.