Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts
Saint- Mitre -les- Remparts is a commune with 5573 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Bouches -du -Rhône in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur.
Geography
The community is located 46 km northwest of Marseille. It is located between the eight kilometers away Istres and Martigues seven kilometers away.
Culture and history
Near Saint- Mitre is the excavation site oppidum de Saint -Blaise, where it is the remains of various settlements, the oldest of which was formed around four thousand years ago. This remained for a longer period exist and served the ancient city of Massalia in the centuries before the birth of Christ as a trading post that connected the port city with the inland. From this phase the Greek fortifications that have survived until today largely come; the former name of the plant is unknown. Probably it is a part of the city Mastramela, which was at the command of Julius Caesar largely destroyed in the year 48 BC. As a foundation was built on the same site a settlement called Ugium that was Christianized later, received two churches, and persisted until the Middle Ages; from this time especially grave fields have been preserved. Then the place Castelveyre, after its destruction in 1390 of the present-day town of Saint- Mitre was established elsewhere arose.
The inhabitants fled to the foundation, which had previously been an observation post and gave it a meaning which led to the first historical mention a little later. In the early 15th century the city walls, which has been preserved to this day was born. Especially through trade with olive oil, salt and cinnabar, the city was rich. Thus in the 17th century the population grew rapidly and new districts arose, but a hard winter in 1709 and a plague in 1720 ushered in the temporary demise of the place. From about 1960, recovered the place, which was mainly due to the proximity to the industrial area of Fos -sur -Mer. The coat of arms used today is the town probably originated in the 16th century.
Attractions
- Defensive walls
- Wind mill of the 17th century
- Church from the 17th century