Principality of Aigues-Mortes
Micronation
Flag of Aigues-Mortes
Flag
Motto: "Je vois la vie en rosé"
"See life in pink"
Anthem: La Coupo Santo
StatusCurrent
CapitalAigues-Mortes
43°34′03″N 4°11′36″E / 43.5675°N 4.1933°E / 43.5675; 4.1933
Official languagesFrench
Organizational structureConstitutional monarchy
• Head of State
Sovereign-Prince Jean-Pierre IV
Establishment
• Declared
21 June 2010
Population
• Census
8565 (2020)[1]
Purported currencyFlamant (flamingo)[2]
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+2 (CEST)
Website
www.principaute-aigues-mortes.com/english

The Principality of Aigues-Mortes (French: Principauté d'Aigues-Mortes) is a micronation that claims the city of Aigues-Mortes.[3] It is not recognised by any country or government.

Aigues-Mortes was founded in 2010 as a humorous parody of the Principality of Monaco,[4] to gain media attention and boost tourism.[5] 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.[6]

Aigues-Mortes has been present at several international conferences on micronations, in Perugia (2015), Aigues-Mortes (2016), Atlanta (2017) and Vincennes (2018).[7]

Legitimizing claims

The 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.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Midtsjo, L. (13 October 2020). "Vi eren en nasjon vi med". Finansavisen (in Norwegian). p. 21-34.
  2. ^ "All you need to know about the Principality of Aigues-Mortes". Principality of Aigues-Mortes. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "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..
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "ENGLISH". pteaiguesmortes (in French). Retrieved 2021-11-17.

External links


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