After the expansion of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the early fourteenth century brought economic and agricultural difficulties. Climatic fluctuations, poor harvests and population pressures contributed to food shortages. The Hundred Years' War began in 1337, while further crises lay ahead.
The Black Death reached Marseille in late 1347 and spread through Provence in 1348 before devastating much of Europe. The loss of life was enormous, although its scale varied according to place and source. Families disappeared and some villages lost their inhabitants. The first great wave lasted a few years, followed by recurrent epidemics in the region over several centuries.
The counts of Provence devoted considerable resources to wars in Italy and the kingdom of Naples. Mercenary companies, often called routiers, plundered and extorted money from communities. Their movements and conflicts between Angevin claimants worsened the difficulties of the second half of the century.
Sources and further reading: Historical research: the Black Death in the West, 1347–1353.