They were independent lords as castellans of Les Baux and Arles and wielded very considerable authority at the local level.
[2] In particular from Bertrand, Lord of Baux and Prince of Orange, derive three cadet branches of the house, which moved to southern Italy, giving rise to the Italianized branches of the "Orsini del Balzo" Counts of Avellino, Dukes of Andria and Princes of Taranto.
When Provence was united with the crown almost 150 yrs of royal governors followed, including the lords, later counts and princes, de Manville.
Pons the Younger was mentioned in three legal acts:[3] The family descent then is: This branch of the House of Baux was declared extinct in 1426.
Another brother started the line of Lords of Suze, Solerieux and Barri (House of Baux-Suze-Solerieux-Barri), which became extinct and reverted afterwards to the counts of Orange.
Coat of arms of the House of Baux, with the star signifying their legendary descent from King Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men.
Original coat of arms of the House of Baux (Lords of Baux). Some authors, and local tradition, with a hagiographic aim, fancifully claimed that the family was descended from Balthazar, one of the three Magi (the 16-rayed star symbolizing the star of Bethlehem). Some, that they descended from the first kings of Armenia, the star signifying that they directly knew Jesus. The mottoes of the family were
Au Hasard Baltasar
;
Jamais Vassal
; and
Latin
:
Semper Ardentius
.
When a branch of the lords of Baux married the heiress of the princes of Orange, they quartered their arms with those of the princes of Orange.
Les Baux-de-Provence
seen from the side, showing the natural fortress created by the escarpment. Without gunpowder, it was impregnable.
