The history of Maussane-les-Alpilles dates back to 1186 under the name “Malmussana,” although a text from 1069 mentions “a villa named Mamuciana, in the vicinity of Arles,” but nothing indicates that it is indeed located where the town now stands. However, traces of habitation from the Iron Age have been found (pottery, hooks) as well as two huts dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The arrival of a Celtic people, the Salyens, led to the establishment of an oppidum on a local promontory, the Castellas Hill. But despite its name, no trace of a castle has ever been found, and under Roman influence, the population gradually abandoned the oppidum in favor of villae. Regarding the Romans, their presence is still visible today. The main evidence of their presence is the remains of aqueducts, some of which are underground. In the Middle Ages, the village was under the authority of the Lords of Les Baux, meaning that the villagers were likely forced to participate in the Baussenque Wars (a series of battles between the Lords of Les Baux and the Catalan lords of Provence) and that their lands changed ownership many times depending on the victors. The traces are lost again until the 1720s, when the plague struck the region and “1101 inhabitants of the Alpilles were taken by the epidemic.” It was at this time that the oratory dedicated to Saint Roch, protector against the plague, was built. The French Revolution struck with very little resistance in the commune. A detachment of the National Guard was created in 1791. Unlike most other cantons, the role of the Church was not dismantled: the local church was not vandalized, and the priest was largely able to keep his position. Despite this calm start, the Terror of 1793 caused nearly 10 years of constant fear, as well as a wave of murders. The lands were officially divided into four distinct localities, Les Baux, Maussane, Mouriès, and Paradou, with Maussane-les-Alpilles becoming the capital. The traditional Provençal tranquility returned only in March 1800.