Templar Site : The House of Aix en Provence

Determining the date of the Templars' settlement in Aix is very complicated, as information on this subject is incomplete and scattered.

The oldest date mentioned in the sources is found in a note at the end of the chapter (page 193) in the work by Abbé M. Constantin published between 1890 and 1898⁽¹⁾:"[...]The Knights Templar settled in Aix in 1140. A bull issued by Adrian IV in 1154 mentions their house.[...].

The location of the Templar house in Aix
Source : Plan de Belleforest – 1575 (Sur Gallica)

The second mention of a date is found in a document from 1175 (or 1176) in which their property located in Aix is used as collateral in an agreement between the monks of Saint-Victor de Marseille⁽²⁾ and the Order.

A document dated 25 June 1176 indicates that the Order received an estate in Aix from Raimond Bérenger III⁽³⁾, Count of Provence.

During his brief pontificate (from 1185 to 1187), Pope Urban III sent several letters to the brothers of the Militia Templi residing in Aix.

In 1191, the Knights Templar were in conflict with the clergy of Aix over a church they had built there, even though they already owned one in Bayle. According to Laurent Dailliez, Pope Celestine III intervened to settle the dispute and ordered the Bishop of Antibes⁽⁴⁾ to instruct the Knights Templar of Aix to demolish their church.

On 4 April 1206, a field located within the territory of the town of Aix was sold to the commander of Bayle and not to that of Aix, providing definitive proof that at the beginning of the 13^th century, there was still no mention of a commandery in Aix.

It was not until May 1213 that the Knights Templar established in Aix reached an agreement with the Archbishop of Aix⁽⁵⁾ to establish a chapel and cemetery. The canons of Saint-Sauveur still contested this decision, and it was Raimond Audibert⁽⁶⁾, provost of Aix, who took it upon himself to enforce the archbishop's decision.

The chapel was built around 1220 and is dedicated to Saint Catherine.

A certain "Brun" is cited as the first commander of Bayle and Aix in a document dated 12 January 1217. The second name that appears in the sources is that of Jean de Mathias, who is commander of Aix in a document dated 1257. In a document dated 28 February 1263, a certain Audibert Suellus ceded 10 émines⁽⁷⁾ of land in Puy-Sainte-Réparade to Brother Jean, "preceptor of the houses of Aix and Bayle".

When the Knights Templar were arrested in Provence on 24 January 1308, the commander of Aix was Albert de Blacas. He was arrested along with three other Knights Templar who were in Aix at the time.

Notes :

⁽¹⁾See bibliographical reference.

⁽²⁾The Abbey of Saint Victor in Marseille was founded in the 5^th century by Ioannis Kassianos (or John Cassian). During the 9^th century, the abbey was burned down by Saracens from Spain who pillaged the entire Marseille coastline. From the beginning of the 11^th century, the abbey recovered and began to flourish once again throughout the region. In 1362, Abbot Guillaume de Grimoard was elected Pope under the name of Urban V.

⁽³⁾Pierre of Barcelona, Count of Provence under the name Raimond Bérenger III. He was born in 1158 and was assassinated on 5 April 1181 in Montpellier. He was first Count of Roussillon and Cerdagne from 1162 to 1168 before becoming Count of Provence from 1173 until his death. He was the son of Raymond Berengar IV, Count of Barcelona, and Petronilla Ramirez, Queen of Aragon.

⁽⁴⁾Raimond Grimaldi, cited as Raimond II de Grimaldi in: "The Clergy of France, or Historical and Chronological Table of Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Abbesses and Heads of the Principal Chapters of the Kingdom, from the Foundation of the Churches to the Present Day, by Abbé Hugues Du Tems, published in 1775". He was undoubtedly the son of Grimaldo Canella, consul of Genoa from 1162 to 1184, considered to be the founder of the Grimaldi family and dynasty. He was bishop of Antibes from 1188 to 1195.

⁽⁵⁾Bermond Cornut's origins are unknown; neither his date nor place of birth are known. In 1185, he was a canon of the cathedral chapter of Saint-Sauveur in Aix-en-Provence, before becoming its provost in 1202. On 07 March 1206, he became Bishop of Fréjus upon the death of Raymond de Capella. In March 1212, he succeeded Gui de Fos as Archbishop of Aix. He died in 1223.

⁽⁶⁾Raimond Audibert was first Provost of Aix before succeeding Bermond Cornut as Archbishop of Aix in 1223. He died in 1246 according to some sources, and in 1251 according to others.

⁽⁷⁾The émine is a measure of grain volume. Depending on the region, it was worth approximately 20 litres.

The House of Aix en Provence

Notes :

Bibliography