The Battle of Tourtour of 973 was a great victory for the Christian forces of William I of Provence over the Saracen pirates based at Fraxinetum. Events Edgar of England is crowned king by Saint Dunstan Births September 15 - Al_Biruni, mathematician († 1048) Abu al-Ala al-Maarri, poet Deaths May 7 - Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor Categories: 973 ... William I (c. ... In older Western historical literature, the Saracens were the people of the Saracen Empire, another name for the Arab Caliphate under the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. ... This article is about sea pirates. ...

For several decades, the Saracens had been making inroads into Provence, building several fortresses, the greatest of which was at Fraxinetum, the castle of La Garde-Freinet. From these bases, they raided and pillaged, capturing goods and people to be sold in faroff Moslem ports. Though they were opposed strongly at first, soon the Provençals settled down to a more passive resistance. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur. ...

However, early in 973, the Saracens captured Maïeul, Abbot of Cluny, and demanded a ransom. Much venerated by his monks, his ransom was quickly obtained. The monks responded, however, once their abbot was released, by stirring up a fury in Provence against the Saracen menace. The peasantry and the noblesse were united in their antipathy towards the Saracens and together implored their ruler, Count William, to act against them. William, equally disturbed by the treatment of the abbot, raised the feudal host took to the offensive. His army consisted not only of men from Provence, but also the lower Dauphiné and Nice. Flag of the Dauphiné Dauphiné is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present départements of the Isère, Drôme, and Hautes-Alpes. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: [1] (Latin: Nice the city) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Région Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Département Alpes-Maritimes (06) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration Nice Côte dAzur Mayor Jacques Peyrat  (UMP) (since 1995...

William's strategy was simple, he struck at the heart of Saracen Provence with the whole of his forces. This did not go unnoticed by the Saracens, who went out to meet the Provençals in the Alps. They were defeated in a series of five battles at Embrun, Gap, Riez, Ampus, and Cabasse. Thoroughly beaten back, the Saracens assembled in an open plain not far from Fraxinetum called Tourtour. There, the sixth and final battle of the war was staged. William defeated the Saracens in the field and chased them back to Fraxinetum, where they were holed up while the Provençals rested. The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... Embrun (Postal code K0A 1W0) is a small village on the Castor River in Russell Township of Russell County, Ontario. ... Look up Gap in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Riez is a commune of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département, in France. ... Cabasse is the manufacturer of High End Loudspeakers. ...

After a brief break from campaigning, William made an assault on Fraxinetum. This attack was led by the lords of Levens, Aspremont, Gilette, Beuil, and Sospel. Having taken La Garde-Freinet, the Saracens were isolated and cut off in Fraxinetum, which was soon seized. The remainder of the Moslem army fled to a nearby forest, where they were soon overcome and entirely captured or killed. La Garde-Freinet was razed to the ground. Surviving Saracens were baptised and made to work as slaves. All remaining Moslems in Provence quickly removed themselves by ship without waiting for any further reprisals. Gillette may refer to: Gillette, Wyoming The Gillette Company, founded by King C. Gillette. ...

For this campaign and its success at expelling all the Saracens from Provence, William was entitled "the Liberator" and "Pater Patriae." Pater Patriae (plural Patres Patriae), also seen as Parens Patriae, is a Latin honorific title meaning Father of the Fatherland. ...