The Governor's lodgings, a new mediation area

Climb the staircase overlooking the main courtyard to reach the second floor and the introductory rooms.

On the second floor, four rooms present key themes in the city's history, including:
 

• the founding of the city of Aigues-Mortes by Saint Louis
• the port and maritime trade in the Mediterranean in the 13th century
• the town's urban development
• architecture

Right from its foundation, Aigues-Mortes was one of the major ports frequented by Italian merchants in the 13th century. It became a veritable crossroads for the exchange of goods, techniques, culture and ideas. It's likely that Louis IX had already envisaged the commercial development of the town he had just founded.

However, the commercial destiny of Aigues-Mortes took on a new dimension under the reign of Philip III the Bold, who in 1278 succeeded in establishing Aigues-Mortes as the kingdom's sole access point for maritime trade. The city thus became the main point of entry and exit for the kingdom's goods.

Six model ships represent the main vessels of the 13th century, sailing on the high seas and the river and sea networks of the Mediterranean coast. A projection shows the ships in the bay of Aigues-Mortes and the town's port system, while an interactive touch table details the long preparations, the king's eventful journey on the seventh crusade, and the eighth - and final - crusade that proved fatal.

Before continuing with a tour of the ramparts, a 3D digitization of the fortifications presents the military architecture and a tactile model of the defensive system.