A lineage holding two coasts: Fos at the mouths of the Rhone, with its harbour and saltworks, and Hyeres with its salt pans, Bormes and Bregancon on the coast east of Toulon.
Kin of the archbishop of Aix.
Who he is
- Name
- The Fos lineage (the head on 1 January 1200 is not pinned)
- Title
- Lords of Fos and of Hyeres
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- A branch of the old viscomtal kin of Marseille. Gui of Fos, archbishop of Aix since 1186, is of this house.
- Confidence
- low
Medieval Lands lists a chapter 'Seigneurs de Fos' but its text was not reached; Gui de Fos from the campaign's Church notes.
Overlord
The count of Provence
What it holds
- Fos: castle and harbour on the Gulf of Fos
- Hyeres: castle, town and salt pans
- Bormes and the coast towards Bregancon
How it was acquired
Hereditary since the eleventh century.
Allies and rivals
Kin of Gui of Fos, archbishop of Aix, and of the viscounts of Marseille.
How things stand that morning
Holds Fos and Hyeres; no part in the 1199 war is recorded.
Wealth
Salt above all (Hyeres and Fos), harbour dues, fishing.
Military
Coastal castles; exposed to Saracen and pirate raids from the sea.
Threats
- Raids from the sea
- Division among heirs
Places of note
- Fos: Castle and harbour
- Hyeres: Castle and salt pans
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The lordships are certain; the head of the family that morning is not.
On the map: Fair outline of Hyeres and Bormes; the lords' share of Fos against the archbishop of Arles is not pinned.
Primary sources for Provence
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Deeds of the Counts of Barcelona, Anonymous (monks of Santa Maria de Ripoll) (first version 1162 to 1184; continued in the later 13th century; final version 1303 to 1314). The house chronicle of the counts of Barcelona.
- The Great Book of Fiefs, Various; compiled by Ramon de Caldes for Alfonso II of Aragon (compiled 1192 to 1194). The register of the count-king's feudal rights, finished a few years before 1200 and in use at Peter II's court: some 900 charters of homage, convention, oath, sale and marriage arranged by county and lineage, covering Catalonia, Roussillon, Cerdanya, Pallars, Urgell, the Carcassonne and Beziers lands of the Trencavels, Provence and Aragon.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.