Fraxinet
Encyclopedia
Fraxinet or Fraxinetum was the site of a tenth-century fortress established by Saracen
pirates at modern La Garde-Freinet
, near Saint-Tropez
, in Provence
. The modern Massif des Maures ("plateau
of Moors
") takes its name from the Saracens of Fraxinet.
According to Liudprand of Cremona, In about 889
a ship carrying twenty adventurers from Pechina
near Almería
in what was then called Al-Andalus
anchored in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez
in Provence. They were called muwallad, that is, converts to Islam
who spoke both Latin
and Arabic. They built tiny stone fortification and protected their outposts by cultivating thorny bushes.
The region around Fraxinet was known in Arabic as Djabal al-Qilâl (mountain of the many peaks) and is, strangely enough, depicted on Arab maps of the period as an island. This area controlled by Fraxinet included St-Tropez, its gulf and hinterland, as well as Ramatuelle
and its peninsula. Ibn Hawqal
recorded that the area was richly cultivated by its Muslim inhabitants, and they have been credited with a number of agricultural and fishing innovations for the region. Ship wrecks in the area indicate that Fraxinet may have been a center of trade as much as of piracy.
A leader of Fraxinet itself, Nasr ibn Ahmad, is mentioned in the Muqtabis of Ibn Hayyan
of Córdoba
, the greatest historian of medieval Spain
. According to that 11th-century chronicle, Abd ar-Rahman III made peace in 939-940 with a number of Frankish
rulers and sent copies of the peace treaty to Nasr ibn Ahmad, described as the commander of Farakh shanit, as well as to the Arab governors of the Balearic Islands
and the seaports of al-Andalus
—all of them subject to the Umayyad
caliphate. Nothing else is revealed about the Fraxinet commander.
of Fraxinet as brigands. From their base, they raided the surrounding area, reaching as far as Piedmont
in Northern Italy and effectively controlling the Alpine passes between France and Italy. An outpost was probably established on the St Bernard Pass road near the modern Saint-Maurice, ancient Agaunum
, in southwest Switzerland
.
In 931
King Hugh of Italy, along with some Byzantine
ships (ref. needed), attacked Fraxinetum. The Byzantines were able to overcome the Saracen ships with Greek fire
, while Hugh's troops entered the town. However, in 941
Hugh allowed the Saracens of Fraxinetum to harass the Alpine passes for his own political ends in his struggle with Berengar of Ivrea.
It was assumed by Emperor Otto I
that the Umayyad
Caliph of Córdoba
, Abd-ar-Rahman III
, was sovereign over Fraxinetum, and he sent John of Gorze
as ambassador in 953
to demand the cessation of the pirates' activities. A return embassy from the Caliph was made by the Mozarab
bishop Recemund
. It is unlikely, however, that the pirates regarded Fraxinetum as part of the Caliph’s territory.
by William I of Provence
. They were expelled from Fraxinetum in 975 by an alliance of Rotbold II of Provence
and Arduin Glaber
.
With the sack of Fraxinet the Alpine passes, freed from Saracen control, were reopened to Christian travellers. Renewed contact between France
, Italy
and Germany
helped the dispersal of architectural and artistic styles, especially from the craftsmen of Lake Como
, which led to rise of the Romanesque
style across Western Europe.
tar
called goudron, a word derived from the Arabic qitran, with the same meaning. The Andalisis also taught the villagers medical skills and introduced both ceramic
tiles and the tambourine
to the area. Some French scholars believe the Andalusis of Fraxinet introduced the cultivation of buckwheat
, a grain that has two names in modern French, blé noir (black wheat) and blé sarrasin (Saracen
wheat).
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
pirates at modern La Garde-Freinet
La Garde-Freinet
La Garde-Freinet is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is a medieval French mountain village, located in the Massif des Maures, an hour north of St. Tropez. Accessible by picturesque winding roads, through forests of cork, oaks, and...
, near Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez....
, in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
. The modern Massif des Maures ("plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
of Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
") takes its name from the Saracens of Fraxinet.
Muslim Fraxinet
889
Year 889 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Yasovarman I succeeds Indravarman II as ruler of the Khmer empire....
a ship carrying twenty adventurers from Pechina
Pechina
-External links: - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía - Diputación Provincial de Almería...
near Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
in what was then called Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
anchored in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez....
in Provence. They were called muwallad, that is, converts to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
who spoke both Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Arabic. They built tiny stone fortification and protected their outposts by cultivating thorny bushes.
The region around Fraxinet was known in Arabic as Djabal al-Qilâl (mountain of the many peaks) and is, strangely enough, depicted on Arab maps of the period as an island. This area controlled by Fraxinet included St-Tropez, its gulf and hinterland, as well as Ramatuelle
Ramatuelle
Ramatuelle is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It lies near St-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime and Gassin. It was built on a hill to defend itself against enemies...
and its peninsula. Ibn Hawqal
Ibn Hawqal
Muḥammad Abū’l-Qāsim Ibn Ḥawqal was a 10th century Muslim writer, geographer, and chronicler. His famous work, written in 977, is called Ṣūrat al-’Arḍ ....
recorded that the area was richly cultivated by its Muslim inhabitants, and they have been credited with a number of agricultural and fishing innovations for the region. Ship wrecks in the area indicate that Fraxinet may have been a center of trade as much as of piracy.
A leader of Fraxinet itself, Nasr ibn Ahmad, is mentioned in the Muqtabis of Ibn Hayyan
Ibn Hayyan
Abu Marwán Hayyán Ibn Khalaf Ibn Hayyan al-Qurtubi , usually known as Ibn Hayyan, was a Muslim historian from Al-Andalus.Born at Córdoba, he was an important official at the court of the Andalusian ruler al-Mansur and published several works on history which have only survived in part...
of Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
, the greatest historian of medieval Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. According to that 11th-century chronicle, Abd ar-Rahman III made peace in 939-940 with a number of Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
rulers and sent copies of the peace treaty to Nasr ibn Ahmad, described as the commander of Farakh shanit, as well as to the Arab governors of the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
and the seaports of al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
—all of them subject to the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
caliphate. Nothing else is revealed about the Fraxinet commander.
Fraxinet and Christendom
Christian sources, especially Liudprand, depict the MoorsMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
of Fraxinet as brigands. From their base, they raided the surrounding area, reaching as far as Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
in Northern Italy and effectively controlling the Alpine passes between France and Italy. An outpost was probably established on the St Bernard Pass road near the modern Saint-Maurice, ancient Agaunum
Agaunum
Roman Agaunum, the modern Saint-Maurice in the canton Valais in southwesternmost Switzerland, was a minor post confined between the Rhône and the mountains along the well-travelled road that led from Roman Genava, modern Geneva, over the Alps by the Great St...
, in southwest Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In 931
931
Year 931 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Mardavij captured and killed Asfar and in rapid succession conquered Hamadan, Dinavar and Isfahan from the governors of the caliph...
King Hugh of Italy, along with some Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
ships (ref. needed), attacked Fraxinetum. The Byzantines were able to overcome the Saracen ships with Greek fire
Greek fire
Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning while floating on water....
, while Hugh's troops entered the town. However, in 941
941
Year 941 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Births :* Charles d'Outremer, son of Louis IV of France* Brian Bórumha mac Cennétig, High-King of Ireland...
Hugh allowed the Saracens of Fraxinetum to harass the Alpine passes for his own political ends in his struggle with Berengar of Ivrea.
It was assumed by Emperor Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
that the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
Caliph of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
, Abd-ar-Rahman III
Abd-ar-Rahman III
Abd-ar-Rahman III was the Emir and Caliph of Córdoba of the Ummayad dynasty in al-Andalus. Called al-Nasir li-Din Allah , he ascended the throne in his early 20s, and reigned for half a century as the most powerful prince of Iberia...
, was sovereign over Fraxinetum, and he sent John of Gorze
John of Gorze
Saint John of Gorze was a Lorraine-born monk, diplomat, administrator, and monastic reformer....
as ambassador in 953
953
Year 953 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Conrad the Red rebel against German King Otto I....
to demand the cessation of the pirates' activities. A return embassy from the Caliph was made by the Mozarab
Mozarab
The Mozarabs were Iberian Christians who lived under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Their descendants remained unconverted to Islam, but did however adopt elements of Arabic language and culture...
bishop Recemund
Recemund
Recemundus was the Mozarabic bishop of Elvira and secretary of the caliph of Córdoba in the mid-tenth century....
. It is unlikely, however, that the pirates regarded Fraxinetum as part of the Caliph’s territory.
The End of Fraxinet
The Saracens were defeated at the Battle of TourtourBattle of Tourtour
The Battle of Tourtour of 973 was a great victory for the Christian forces of William I of Provence over the Andalusi pirates based at Fraxinetum....
by William I of Provence
William I of Provence
William I , called the Liberator, was Count of Provence from 968 to his abdication. In 975 or 979, he took the title of marchio or margrave. He is often considered the founder of the county of Provence...
. They were expelled from Fraxinetum in 975 by an alliance of Rotbold II of Provence
Rotbold II of Provence
Rotbold II was the Count of Provence from 968 to his death and margrave from 993. He was the elder of two sons of Boso II of Arles and Constance, the younger being William I, who took up the title of marchio in 979 and that of dux later...
and Arduin Glaber
Arduin Glaber
Arduin Glaber was the Count of Auriate from c. 935 and Margrave of Turin from c. 950. He placed his family, the Arduinici, on a firm foundation and established the march of Turin through conquests and royal concessions...
.
With the sack of Fraxinet the Alpine passes, freed from Saracen control, were reopened to Christian travellers. Renewed contact between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
helped the dispersal of architectural and artistic styles, especially from the craftsmen of Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
, which led to rise of the Romanesque
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
style across Western Europe.
Chronology of Fraxinet
The Andalusis introduced fine pinePine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
called goudron, a word derived from the Arabic qitran, with the same meaning. The Andalisis also taught the villagers medical skills and introduced both ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
tiles and the tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
to the area. Some French scholars believe the Andalusis of Fraxinet introduced the cultivation of buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
, a grain that has two names in modern French, blé noir (black wheat) and blé sarrasin (Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
wheat).
- 889, Twenty Andalusis sail up the Gulf of St. Tropez and found a colony at Fraxinet.
- 906, Andalusis cross the defiles of the DauphinéDauphinéThe Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
and Mont CénisMont CenisMont Cenis is a massif and pass in Savoie in France which forms the limit between the Cottian and Graian Alps.A road over the pass was built between 1803 and 1810 by Napoleon...
. - 908, Andalusis occupy the valley of the Suse.
- 911, Andalusis hold the AlpineAlpineThe term alpine refers to the Alps, a European mountain range.Alpine may also refer to:- Geography and geology :* Alpine tundra, the biological community that occurs above the tree line at high altitude...
passes. - 929, Fraxinet forces advance to borders of LiguriaLiguriaLiguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
. - 935, Sa'id dies at the Battle at Acqui
- 940, Andalusis occupy and colonize ToulonToulonToulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. - 942, Andalusi settlement at NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
and GrenobleGrenobleGrenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, - 952, Andalusi fortresses in PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
: Fressineto and Fenestrelle. - 970, Andalusis evacuate Grenoble, Savoy and Gap.
- 972, Andalisis detain Majolus of ClunyMajolus of ClunySaint Majolus of Cluny was an abbot of Cluny. As a youth Majolus fled his family's estates near Rietz to stay with relatives at Mâcon due to the Muslim invasions. Majolus studied at Lyon and later became archdeacon of Mâcon.Offered the bishopric of Besançon, he became a monk of Cluny instead...
at the Great St Bernard Pass - 973, After the Battle of TourtourBattle of TourtourThe Battle of Tourtour of 973 was a great victory for the Christian forces of William I of Provence over the Andalusi pirates based at Fraxinetum....
the Andalusis evacuate of most of Provence. - 975, Andalusi evacuation of Fraxinet.
- 1047, Andalusi raid on Lérins IslandsLérins IslandsThe Lérins Islands are a group of four Mediterranean islands off the French Riviera, near Cannes. The two largest islands in this group are the Île Sainte-Marguerite and the Île Saint-Honorat...
.
External links
- Robert W. Lebling, Jr., The Pirates of St. Tropez
- Images, Documents and Maps regarding Fraxinet (in French)