Antoine VIVAUD

Antoine Vivaud belonged to the powerful Vivaud family, originally from Marseille, known for its activities as shipowners and merchants in the Middle Ages. A descendant of Guillaume Vivaud, purchaser of the seigneury of Cuges in 1220, 

Three Anecdotes about Antoine Vivaud

1. From shipowners to lords:The Vivaud family made their fortune through maritime trade in Marseille before investing in land. The purchase of the seigneury of Cuges in 1220 marked the transition from a merchant elite to a seigneurial nobility, a common phenomenon in medieval Provence.
   
   
2. A seigneury in a time of great crises: The Vivaud seigniory in the XIVᵉ century went through a period troubled by the Black Death and economic difficulties. Despite this context, the seigneury retained its stability, a sign of solid seigneurial administration.
   
   
3. From Vivaud to Vivaux: one and the same family: The name Vivaud was gradually spelled Vivaux, with no change in lineage. Today's Marseilles place names, such as Place Vivaux or Pont de Vivaux, preserve the memory of this family, whose history links Marseilles to Cuges-les-Pins.