Saint-Michel of Gignac

The seigniory of Marignane extended to cities now detached: Vitrolles, Saint-Victoret and Gignac-la-Nerthe to the Mediterranean. The site of Saint-Michel of Gignac, today on the commune Rove, was thus in this possession.

The Templiers were able on the coasts of Provence “to reject there with the sea Buckwheats” which had unloaded there in 1119,1148,1176,1178 and 1197. Raimond of Saint-Gilles was member of about a 1094 to 1105. He is the author of the 1st crusade in Palestine, with the call of the pope Urbain II who had come to see it in Saint-Gilles to explain to him that one was to push back “the Islam” of the coasts of Provence. This call is also at the origin of the creation of the military orders in Provence. Raymond of Saint-Gilles, count de Toulouse, to the head of the group of noble, left in 1095 in crusade with his friend Guillaume the Beams, lord of Marignane and Raimond of the Beams his godson, wire of the precedent. They will discover the Sainte Lance with the palate of Boucolon and will perish in 1105, except for Raimond of the Beams in front of the ramparts of Tripoli in Palestine. This XIIe century is the century of the great donations for the order of Templiers. No doubt thus that probably the site of Saint-Michel was not at least partly, largely financed by the local lord of the Beams. In 1204,1205, already to the acts testify to Templiers with Fos. Other acts of 1216, quote Michael like their Commander, who could be well at the origin of this site of Michel saint. But, whereas the goods templiers of Marignane depended on the house of Fos, it seems that those of Saint-Michel depended on Marseilles. It should be said that fastenings were made with the wire creations for example in XIIe century: Frejus (1124), Richerenches (1136), Arles (1138), Aix (1143), Gréoux (1144), Nice (1146), Holy Gilles (1150), Lorgues (1156). At the time, this place belonged to the seigniory of Marignane which extended to the sea. Templiers took of it possession at the 12th century, selected because of its strategic position which made them main of the plain and the crossing points. By building a strong castle there, they did of them one of the chain links of their citadels which extended from Fos to the Pyrenees. Out of barred spur, ramparts connected of square towers, Templiers had a military commandery there, with a commander of Knights, who with his men ensured the protection of the littoral and the pond of Berre, allowing to fight against the incursions sarrasines and them bands of plunderers between Marseilles and Martigues which held to ransom the travellers. We know two commanders of the fortress: Umbert de Bioth in 1173 and Ismidion de Gordolan in 1202, which would have built the vault (restored in 1874). The vault of the strong castle was called in the beginning “Holy-Marthe and Saint Michel”. She would have been built by the Companions of Saint-Blaise, order of manufacturers affiliated to the Order of the Temple. Of a single nave of two spans, continued of a pentagonal apse, it is normally directed.

In 1307, the site was abandoned templiers and his population essuya plague, famine, insecurity.

In 1308, one year after the suppression of the Order, an inventory was drawn up on the possession of the house of Fos. The commandery will pass in 1309 to the order of the knights Hospitaliers of Midsummer's Day of Jerusalem, rested by Gerard Tenque. One will find an act of 1350 on the ten-per-cent tax raised on the church of Gignac addressed to the “Tutor of the house of the Temple of Gignac”: “Préceptor domus Templi quon prejudice of Ginhaco”. “Furious to see itself stripped by Louis II several grounds which it had received from the Jeanne queen, Raymond de Turenne, of the family of the Beams, gathers around him, known as Honore Bouche, the old bands of Charles of Lasted, all the murderers, robbers, small drainage canals, brigands, forgery minting and other gallows birds, which it joins together with his troops, and starts to make races by all Provence”.

In 1388, it puts the seat in front of Saint-Michel, puts at bag of the village partially deserted, incendit the houses and entirely shaves the ramparts and the turns of defense by respecting the vault. It was at the beginning of the exactions of this former chief of the “Grandes Companies” who devastated the area during more than 10 years, so much and so that in August/September 1396 opened with the Parlement of Provence the Chapters of the union of the country against Raymond de Turenne: “In name of nostre senhor Jhesus Christ and the gloriosa Maria Rods, her mayre, and of tota the cort celestial sia, amen! Al laus and gloria LED sobeyran Rey and have honor and exaltacion very redoctabla gave will nostra, madama the reyna Maria of Jerusalem and of Sicilia, contessa dels told of Provhensa and of Forcalquier and LED prince lo rey Loys, nostre redoctable senhor, his filhe excel,…”. The names of the participants are quoted, with a first list of the monks whose reverend father monseigneur Johan Bonnin, abbot of the monastery of Saint-Victor, one second with the names of the barons and gentlemen, in the title of which appear “lo senhor of Marinhana, per if and his will terra and “lo dich magnific home nonssenhor George de Marles, chivalier, senhor leaves LED Luc there and Rocabruna, per if and its”, which will be the commander of this coalition, finally a third list with the representatives of the various communities of the territory Marignane - Monaco will terra - Sisteron… in all, nearly a hundred characters supported by their men. Raymond de Turenne, tracked, would have finished drowned in the Rhone with Tarascon. In addition to the vault of the 13th century, normally directed, called in the beginning holy vault Marthe and holy Michel (owners of the templiers) and who were used until the 18th century, there remain vestiges of the ramparts, square towers and of a cistern which was to be used as water reserve in the event of seat. Its furniture was transferred in the churches from Gignac-la-Nerthe, Rove and Ensuès. With some steps from there, instead of Laure, a large rectangular well, the “Pousaraco is”, which was used to feed the places out of water.

After the extermination of Templiers, their goods were allotted to Hospital of Midsummer's Day of Jerusalem and this place to Commanderie that the Hospital ones had in Marseilles.

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