Eagle’s Nest (Le Bo de Provence)

On a barren weathered rock ridge nine hundred meters long and two hundred and eighty meters high – the ruins of the castle. On the mountain, rising to the foot of the rock massif – a living city, ivy greens, tiled roofs, solar heat comes even from the limestone walls of the houses, the streets smell like lavender – and growing in the surrounding fields, and sold in every shop.

Already at the end of the X century, the owners of the castle of Le Bo in Provence – Les Baux-de-Provence, arrogantly looking down on arable land and pastures, controlled a fairly vast surrounding land. By the middle of the next century, they were already among the strongest feudal families in the south of France. Senor Le Bo owned 79 towns and villages.

The owners of Le Bo, in their pride, built their genealogy to none other than the sorcerer Baltazar, awakened by a Christmas star, and wore a sixteen-rayed silver star on a black emblem as a sign of their genealogical claims. Who could compare with the owner of Le Bo? Who could dictate terms to him? Who could dare to offer him an alliance? “Raso d’eigloun, jamai vassalo” – “The eagle clan does not know vassality,” was the answer to anyone from the Continue reading →