Medieval mountain-top fortress

Les Baux-de-Provence (week 7)

La Chapelle des Penitents

A "baux" is a spur or rocky outcrop, which perfectly describes the hill that is topped by the ruined Chateau-les-Baux.  This was a strategic area that changed hands many times through the middle ages: Occitan and French rulers, the counts of Barcelona, the princes of Monaco, and Huguenots.  Eventually the French king got fed up with the independent (rebellious!) spirit of the people of Baux and demolished the chateau.  However, the ruins still give a good idea of what the place was like.  The keep was carved out of the rock of the hill, so the walls blend in perfectly with the mountainside.

Crossbow shoot

There is lots to see, including several intact (and one ruined) chapels, siege engines (including the largest trebuchet in France), crossbow-shooting (Craig and David both shot one), and great views from the tops of the walls.  The surrounding village has a Banff-like feel of fancy restaurants and boutiques rubbing shoulders with cheap sandwich shops.  Some of the stairs appear to be the originals - very uneven and carved into the rock, and so worn down in the middle that they are effectively U-shaped steps.  Unfortunately, the limestone appears to be suffering quite badly from the rain - it flakes off in your hands and has a rippled look.

For you chemists and geologists - this is the town that gives the mineral Bauxite its name, although it's pronounced "beau" in French.