The Principality of Aigues-Mortes (French: Principauté d'Aigues-Mortes) is a micronation that claims the city of Aigues-Mortes.[1] It is not recognised by any country or government.
Principality of Aigues-Mortes | |
|---|---|
| Micronation (unrecognized entity) | |
| Area claimed | Aigues-Mortes in southern France 43°34′03″N 4°11′36″E / 43.5675°N 4.1933°E |
| Claimed by | Sovereign-Prince Jean-Pierre IV |
| Dates claimed | 21 June 2010–present |
Aigues-Mortes was founded in 2010 as a humorous parody of the Principality of Monaco,[2] to gain media attention and boost tourism.[3] The micronation is also registered in France as the organisation LOUPAM. Together with local merchants and the tourist office of Aigues-Mortes, it created the BPAM (Bourse princière d'Aigues-Mortes) to handle currency exchange with the local currency, the flamant.[4]
Aigues-Mortes has been present at several international conferences on micronations, in Perugia (2015), Aigues-Mortes (2016), Atlanta (2017) and Vincennes (2018).[5]
Legitimizing claims
editThe founders of the micronation invented their own legend to legitimize their claims. The legend is a humoristic story about Pierrot Pitchoun, a squire of the French king. In 1240, Louis IX of France obtained the town and the surrounding lands by exchange of properties with the monks of the abbey to whom the city belonged so far. Aigues-Mortes was the city from which Louis IX twice departed for the Seventh Crusade in 1248 and for the Eighth Crusade in 1270, during which he died of dysentery at Tunis. According their story the dying king granted his faithful squire the title Prince of Aigues-Mortes, the squire's hometown, as a reward for faithful service during his last days. The current Prince is Jean-Pierre IV who is purported to be the 22nd of this princely line.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Lessen, Julia van; Petermann, Sandra (2021-10-31). "Peripheries. Playgrounds of Society". Img Journal (5): 216–237. doi:10.6092/issn.2724-2463/12863. ISSN 2724-2463.
- ^ Baudet, Marie-Béatrice (16 August 2021). "Voyage dans les micronations, ces pays de fantaisie qui réinventent la démocratie". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ Hobbs, Harry; Williams, George (2022). Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty. Cambridge Studies in Constitutional Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-009-15012-5.
- ^ "Les partenaires du réseau bpam". BPAM (in French). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- "Aigues-Mortes : Le Flamant, nouvelle monnaie locale". Midi Libre (in French). 19 November 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2020.. - ^ Oeuillet, Julien (16 April 2015). Le business des vanités : enquête sur les arnaques à la noblesse (in French). Ed. du Moment. ISBN 978-2-35417-370-8.
- Bonzom, Nicolas (26 September 2016). "Le sommet francophone des micronations, entre folkore et engagement citoyen". 20 minutes (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- Placer, Antoine (21 January 2018). "Sommet de micronations sur le pavé: folklorique et citoyen". La Voix du Nord (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2021. - ^ "ENGLISH". pteaiguesmortes (in French). Retrieved 2021-11-17.
External links
edit
 | This article about politics in France is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |