Argelès’ Medieval History

9th Century to 13th Century - The Counts of Roussillon & Empuries rule Argelès

After the death of Charlemagne and the division of his empire, there was period of instability and from 812AD, the Counts of Roussillon and Empuries ruled Argelès and founded monasteries in Collioure and Banyuls-sur-Mer.

The 11th & 12th centuries was a period of feuds and disputes as noble families vied for control of castles and routes, as well as acts of violence and oppression against the local populace. In such a period of fear and strife, Argelès became more like a fortress with town gates built at Taxo d’Avall, Pujols and the Château d’Argelès.

This passage emphasizes the intricate and turbulent history of feudalism in the region around Argelès-sur-Mer, characterized by the rise of local dynasties, the construction of castles, and continuous territorial disputes. These power dynamics shaped the political landscape of the Roussillon and Empúries regions, making Argelès a critical crossroads of political and military importance during the Middle Ages.

12th Century – Viscount of Roussillon rules from Tatzó d’Avall Castle

The ruins of Taxo d’Avall are found north of Argelès on the road to Elne. First mentioned in 897, the castle was the seat of the powerful Viscount of Roussillon in the 12th century and it was from Tatzó d’Avall that the the Viscount declared war on the Counts of Roussillon in 1145. Today, a large chunk of the 11th century defensive wall still stands, as well as a remarkable chapel dedicated to Saint Martin and the Holy Cross built at the same time.

13th Century – The Tower of Massana is constructed

The Tower of Massana, meaning "smoky tower" in Catalan, was built in 1293 under orders of James II of Majorca at an altitude of 793 meters overlooking Argelès in a perfect strategic loactions between Roussilon and Vallespir.

Built as a a signal watchtower, the Tower of Massana would altert the King of invasions via smoke and fire signals. It was tasked with monitoring access to the Albera Massif and alerting residents of any invasions via smoke or fire signals relayed to Collioure, the Madeloc Tower and Perpignan.

9th Century to 17th Century - The Abbey of Saint-Génis des Fontaines dominate Argelès

After the Franks expelled the Muslims, they relied heavily on the the Benedictine monks of the Catholic Church and monasteries to control the region adopting the motto “ora et labora”, which means prayer and work and oversaw clearing and cultivation of the land. Three major abbeys were established in the foothills of the Albères and Vallespir: Saint-André de Sorède, Saint-Génis des Fontaines and Sainte-Marie d’Arles.

From the 9th Century, Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, granted the Abbey of Saint-Génis des Fontaines control over the fertile valley around the Ravaner river and much of Torreilles and Argelès.

This led to a dramatic increase in the number of churches built in Argelès, led by a monk called Raoul Glaber in 1000, and, by the 13th century, Argelès had 12 churches and chapels linked to the Benedictine monasteries that flourished on the southern slopes of the Albères Mountains.

So, in the Middle Ages, a large part of Argelès was owned, controlled and taxed by the Monasteries.

An example of the church’s land ownership is that, in 1597, the Abbot ordered that crosses were to be engraved on rocks across Argelès and can even be seen in the vineyards around Collioure and Banyuls, to mark church land.

As late as 1654, a significant historical document, the Stabilimentum, details much of the Church’s landowning in Argelès, the management of tenants and instructions on how to pay taxes and rent directly to the Abbot of Saint-Génis rather than to any secular lords or royal officials.

But, by this time, the Church was now in conflict with the Royal Family now over tax revenue, such as on 11 September 1661 when Argelès landowners suffered violence were attacked by Captain Pons d’Argelès when they refused to pay tax instead of the Abbot of Saint-Génis.

13th to 14th Century – Argelès is ruled by the Kingdom of Majorca

Argelès remained under their possession until 1276 when James I of Aragon divided his kingdom between his two sons. The eldest son, Pere, received all territories south of the Pyrenees, whilst the youngest, James, received the Balearic Islands and his father’s possessions north of the mountain range including the county of Roussillon, so Argelès became part of the Kingdom of Majorca. As a small state wedged between two much more powerful states - France and Aragon - James II of Majorca fortified the mountain ridges and built strongholds the Massane tower, which overlooks Argelès.

1344 – The Siege of Argelès

In 1343, Pere IV of Aragon declared war on Jaume III of Majorca accusing him of failing to fulfill his obligations as a vassal, seized the island of Majorca, and then attacked Roussillon. On 21 May 1344, the forces of Pere IV attacked Argelès early in the morning, using siege equipment and cutting off the town’s supply routes. Fierce fighting ensued and Argelès tried to negotiate terms, but Pere IV refused and continued the slaughter forcing the defenders to surrender.

14th Century – Argelès returns to Aragon and becomes a fortified town

The flash in the pan Kingdom of Majorca lasted less than a century before it returned to Aragon’s hands and Argelès lost some of its strategic significance.

But, the 14th and 15th century was really the time that Argelès became a fortified town. It was a this time that the town was surrounded by a wall flanked by a dozen square towers with up to 20 metres high, protected with deep ditches, with three fortified entrance gates to the town.

You can still see one of the original 14th century entry gates, known as Battle Gate, on 14 Juillet Street next to the Jean Jaurès cinema.

1347-52 – The Black Death devastates Argelès

Up to 50% of Argeles population died during the Black Death and a large scale canal project to bring water from the Tech river was abandoned and delayed for 500 years until it was finally built.

1462 – Louis XI of France invades Roussillon

France occupied Argelès and the surrounding area and crushed and suppressed resistance.

1493 –King Charles VIII cedes Roussillon back to Spain

King Charles VIII of France had ambitions to conquer the Kingdom of Naples and desired neutrality of the Crown of Aragon to protect his western borders from attack. So, the Treaty of Barcelona was in 1493, which returned Roussillon to the Crown of Aragon.

The Spanish monarchs were welcomed as liberators by Argelès, which had endured 30 years of hardship under the French.

15th & 16th Centuries – Argelès attacked by French sponsored pirates

Conflict persisted between France and Spain through skirmishes and Francis I of France allied with Protestant pirates and Ottoman Turks, led by Barbarossa, to raid and pillage Spanish coastal towns including Argelès. Locals referred to these attacks as "Moros a la costa!" ("Moors on the Coast!").

1538 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, visits Argelès

Charles V, aware of the hardships in the region, stopped in Argelès in 1538 on his way to Collioure and granted the people of Argelès the privilege of selecting three candidates for whom their local leader would be chosen.