THE JEANNE QUEEN

At once after the death of Robert, the Marseillais sent to lend oath of fidelity to the queen in her capacity as countess of Provence. They asked for the confirmation of their franknesses to him. Jeanne recommended at once in writing to the General seneshal of Provence scrupulously to respect them.

Her husband, having been assassinated by the Neapolitan ones, the queen flees and sought an asylum in Provence (1347). Like her grandfather, it was led with its barons and its gentlemen to the cemetery of Accoules, where the people were assembled; it y the Jura on the saints Gospels to observe the privileges and franknesses from the City. Jeanne then made cease the administrative joint possession which had weighed on the city for several centuries.

It was on January 5 1348 which the queen, being in Marseilles, removed the two jurisdictions and decided that the same local by-laws would govern the two cities, so as to form only one of them.
To some time from there, the queen went to Avignon, or it was shown murder of her husband. She pled so well her cause which she was cleared.
During the epidemic of the Black Death (1349), Louis of Bavaria, which had seized the Naples city, fled as of the appearance of the disease. The Neapolitan ones pointed out their queen. This one, which missed money, then sold Avignon to the pope for the price of 80.000 guilders. Then, it embarked in Marseilles, to re-enter in its capital.
During its absence, it had named as seneshal in Provence, an Italian gentleman, Aimeric Rollandi. Provençaux refused to obey to him because it was foreign. Only, Marseilles, agreed to recognize it and entered in fight with the remainder of Provence. The Marseillais sought supports in Martigues and Arles without finding some. Decided to make respect the authority of the Jeanne queen, they did not neglect anything to resist the league of Provence, but the pope Clément VI offered his mediation. At this time, the Queen revoked Rollandi and the harmony was restored.

It was besides, in all France, one time of anarchy. The large companies devastated the country. The head of the one of them, Arnaud de Cervolle, known as the Archpriest, afflicted Provence, helped of Raymond of the Beams, count d' Avelin.

The Marseillais took the weapons once again. Two columns came out of the city, seized Aubagne and Saint-Marcel; but the gangsters continued with all to destroy. It was necessary to call upon Jean of Armagnac, which came to Provence with 2.500 riders. The Marseillais sent hundred principal rafters to him. However the fight would have lasted for ever if the count d' Avelin had not died. The Jeanne queen had for the Marseillais of the words of gratitude. She assure them the property of the castle and the borough of Saint-Marcel.

The town of Marseilles treated power with power with the Republic of Italy. In 1357, it had made it possible Florentins to arm in its port eight galères; Pisans having protested, Marseilles answered proudly " That never emperor or pope had not fixed of limit at his navigation... and that it relied on the guard of God for the triumph of his cause, if one attacked his vessels ".
At this time, Jeanne had married third once. She had married Jacques d' Aragon, king titular of Majorque; but its business did not go from there better; she struggled in the medium of the difficulties. Louis of Anjou, brother of Charles V, wanted to seize Provence. The emperor Charles IV yielded the kingdom of Arles to him. Bertrand Duguesclin put the seat in front of Tarascon, took the city by treason, March 4 1368 and camped in front of Arles on April 11, but he met a vigorous resistance and at the end of nineteen days he withdrew and passed by again the Rhone.
Jeanne excited by letter her vassal with resistance against Louis of Anjou. Aix and Marseilles were linked in a defensive league. The queen approved this league, but it negotiated so that it calmed the claims of Louis. It was largely helped in that by the pope Urbain V.
There this large pope, who had wanted to settle in Rome, had not been able to succeed, it returned to Avignon while passing by Marseilles, where it was accepted on September 16 1369 with an indescribable enthusiasm. One year after, September 19, he died and its body was transported to Saint-Victor where a mausoleum was raised to him. That year, Provence was again devastated by the plague and the famine.

Jeanne not having a child, instituted as Charles heir to Lasted, his nephew by alliance. This one solved to seize its kingdom immediately. Then the queen disavowed it and adopted Louis of Anjou. Lasted had blocked Jeanne in the Castle-Nine in Naples. The queen having lost any hope, delivered herself, but four days after, the Marseillais with ten galères, put the seat in front of the city. Charles asked his captive to make it recognize like his successor by the Marseillais and Provençaux, but Jeanne, whose energy was untameable, entreated on the contrary her vassal to obey Louis of Anjou. This one besides came at the same time to defend its future heritage in Provence, but only the Marseillais wanted to obey to him.

May 22 1382 Charles of Lasted had made choke the Jeanne queen under a mattress, and then two parties were formed in Provence. Aix, Toulon, Tarascon, Draguignan, Frejus, Hyères, Saint-Maximin held for Duras. Marseilles and Arles for Anjou, like having combined Cuges, Signs, Ollioules, Six-Furnaces, Cadière, Ciotat, Ceyreste, Blackcurrant, Aubagne, Beausset, Roquefort and Castelet. The Marseillais started by seizing Roquevaire and of Auriol and reflect a garrison there. Then they called upon the king de France Charles VI. This one sent troops in Provence, Marseilles joined to it two hundred principal rafters and one took Saint-Cannat after ten days of seat. Aix resisted.
At the same time, king Louis tried to reconquer Naples, but its army was decimated by the disease and the famine. Ruined, having lost to its crown, not having more that one coat of mail in painted fabric, it sought to join its Charles enemy of Lasted, but this one was concealed constantly. Lastly, mined by the reverses and sorrow, Louis died on September 20 1384. It left to collect its heritage, a child, and to put forward it, a woman.