Medieval Bricoles And A Couillard, Château Des Baux, France Editorial Image

The Château des Baux is a fortified castle built during the 10th century, located in Les Baux-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône. Visitors to the Château des Baux can see full-scale replicas, for instance of this bricole. It is a defensive anti-personnel weapon, used to bombard the assailants as they came into sight. Since men were assigned to use the projectile weapons, the bricole was often operated by women. The bricole is a projectile engine to shoot cannonball-sized stones weighing up to 12 kg. On the right a couillard, a machine with a mobile counterweight, serving both for attacking and for defending the castle.