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The House of Baux is a French noble family from the south of France. It was one of the richest and most powerful families of medieval Provence, known as the 'Race d’Aiglon'. They were independent lords as castellans of Les Baux and Arles and wielded very considerable authority at the local level. They held important fiefs and vast lands, including the principality of Orange.[1]
In Old French: baux (and in Provençal-Occitan, li baou) is the word for 'cliffs, escarpment'. In its use as the family name, it refers to the natural fortress on which the family built their castle, the Château des Baux and the village that surrounded it. The escarpment provided a raised and protected mountain valley that protected their food supply; the natural ridge of the Alpilles allowed control of all the approaches to the citadel of Les Baux-de-Provence and the surrounding countryside, including the passage up and down the Rhone, and the approaches from the Mediterranean. Together, these natural advantages made the fortress impervious to the military technology of the time.
The family of des Baux is still thriving today in Naples in the person of several noble families descended from younger sons who followed Charles of Anjou south.[2] In particular from Bertrand, Lord of Baux and Prince of Orange, derive three cadet branches of the house, which moved to southern Italy, giving rise to the Italianized branches of the "Orsini del Balzo" Counts of Avellino, Dukes of Andria and Princes of Taranto.
After the death of Alix des Baux [fr], the last sovereign of Baux, the chateau and town were seized by King Rene, who gave them to his second wife, Queen Jeanne of Laval. When Provence was united with the crown almost 150 yrs of royal governors followed, including the lords, later counts and princes, de Manville. Les Baux became a centre for Protestantism. Its unsuccessful revolt against the crown led Cardinal Richelieu in 1632 to order that the castle and its walls should be demolished. This was accomplished with the aid of artillery.
^Grew 1947, p. 5–16
^del Balzo, Gioacchino. "GENEALOGY Maison del Balzo/des Baux". Retrieved 21 April 2011.
The HouseofBaux is a French noble family from the south of France. It was one of the richest and most powerful families of medieval Provence, known as...
member of the noble HouseofBauxof the Kingdom of Naples, which had its origins in Provence dating back to the 11th century. Her husband was Peter of Luxembourg...
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and land passed to the French noble housesofBaux, in 1173, and of Chalons, in 1393, before arriving with Rene of Nassau in 1530. The principality then...
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since James ofBaux's heirs had forfeited their rights to the Holy See. Achaea was united with the Despotate of the Morea after the death of Centurione...
William I ofBaux (Occitan: Guilhèm dei Bauç, archaic Guillem or Guilhem dels Baus, French: Guillaume des Baux or du Baus, Latin: Guillelmus de Balcio;...
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title of prince of Orange. The title had come to the HouseofBaux through a brother of Raimbaut of Orange, who was William II's paternal grandmother, Tiburge...
of prince of Orange. The title had come to the HouseofBaux through a brother, Raimbaut of Orange, of William III's paternal great-grandmother, Tiburge...
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