La lutte contre les eaux dans les pays du bas Rhône XIIe-XVe siècles. L'exemple du pays d'Arles

Abstract

In the last centuries of the Middle-Ages, stagnant waters -ponds and marshes- as well as running waters -the Rhone with its branches more numerous than do-day- occupy a considerable place in the whole territory of Aries. They give this region all its singularity : characteristic vegetation, insalubrity but at the same time fertility owing to the river silts, numerous and varied resources : original hunting and fishing, saltworks development. They are also a cause of permanent insecurity : appaling floods of the Rhone which ruin the crops, sweep the cattle along and eat away the riverside areas of the Rhone. The «Arlesien» people have had to fight against these waters and protecting themselves from the floods. What is commonly considered as great 'clearings' has here taken the shape of areas gained on the marshes owing to the building of drainage canals -roubines- as early as the nineteenth century. By the end of the twelfth and thirteenth century, the drying out of marshes becoming more and more important, urban authorities and «comtes» have to deal with these problems. As for the building of «levées» -dykes- to fight against the river overflowing, it has started in the twelfth century. These «levées» are made of earth and wood and tamarisk branches, with practically no paving. They are taken care of by associations of landowners who regularly meet to collect the «tailles» -toilages- financing the works and in order to appoint the «levadiers», «terrillons» or «fangueiayres». All things considered, fighting against waters leads to the creation of quite original associations in which any Artesian -even the humblest ones- can take part. So, one may say, running the risk of being anachronistic, that these associations had, in a way, «democratic» features.