medieval history

Saint-Sauveur Church

Dating back to the 15th century and entirely redesigned in the mid 16th-century, the current church was built on top of several Romanesque buildings, the remains of which can still be seen in part (Chapelle de la Vierge). The church features two beautiful gates: a northern serpentine (hard, green stone) gate and a western basalt (black pumice stone) gate. It was consecrated in 1550 by the bishop of Fréjus under the id of Saint-Sauveur and Saint-Etienne.
Its remarkable triptych dated 1540 was painted by local Draguignan-born artist André Carton, nickidd Urlupin.
A number of local contemporary artists including Jean-Pierre de Kock, Patrice Henry Biabaud, Luc Vento and Jean-Paul Lemarquis have contributed to embellishing the building since 1984.

Saint-Roch Chapel

Saint-Roch chapel was built in the early 19th century and belonged to the White Penitent confraternity. It replaced the original early 17th-century building sold to the state in 1792 and now converted into a barn situated adjacent to the chapel.

Tour de l’Horloge (Clock Tower)

Built in the 14th century, the clock tower marked the entrance to the castle formerly inhabited by the local seigneurs (lords) and to part of the medieval village, where inhabitants and their cattle could take shelter when necessary. The walls were destroyed in the late 16th century during the Wars of Religion, but the tower remains fully intact.

Provence and the Plague

Two saints – Saint-Sébastien and Saint-Roch - were invoked to protect Provence against the Plague. Saint-Roch, who was born in Montpellier in the 14th century, was the region's favourite saint, and chapels idd after him can be found in Saint-Tropez, Grimaud, Cogolin and Roquebrune. The statue of Saint Roch is still displayed in all of the Bay of Saint-Tropez and Maures area churches. The two most infamous epidemics were that of 1347-1348, referred to as the "Black Plague" and that of 1720, which started out in Marseilles port and ran riot throughout Provence.

Grimaud Castle

Dating back to the late 13th – early 14th century, the ramparts of this ancient castle (now a listed Monument) were designed to protect part of the medieval village and the castle itself. Several additions have been made to the original construction, including the square tower built in the 15th century and two round towers built in the mid 17th century. Now an open-air theatre, the site hosts a major world music festival.
You will enjoy strolling through the narrow lanes of this beautiful village, which still bears many reminders of its medieval past.

Saint-Michel Parish Church

This listed Monument dates back to the late 12th – early 13th century. Built from local granite, the original construction is virtually unchanged and remains one of the finest local examples of Provence's Romanesque revival. The interior features magnificent ancient fixtures, including a 16th century marble font.

Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs

This chapel was built in the late 15th century by an ancient confraternity known as the White Penitents. In addition to its superb original furniture, the chapel opens onto a wide square planted with cypress trees, featuring a 19th-century wooden missionary's cross.

The White Penitents

The White Penitents was a lay association whose good deeds included burying the poor. Their id originated from the white habit that covered them from head to foot.

Fort-Freinet

Ancient historians believed that Fort-Freinet (now a listed Monument) was the former headquarters of the Saracens that occupied Provence in the 10th century, but archaeologists have since discovered that it was actually built by cave dwellers in the late 13th century. The dwellings and wide ditch were dug into the rock.

Guided tour of Fort-Freinet. Not to be missed!

A short but steep walk leads up to this spectacular medieval site, offering magnificent panoramic views over the village of La Garde-Freinet, the Bay of Saint-Tropez and the Maures plain. You can enjoy a guided tour hosted by the "Conservatoire du Patrimoine" heritage society, situated adjacent to the Tourist Office. Tel. +33(0)4 94 43 67 41

Built in 1792, this village was formerly called the hamlet of Saint-Martin and formed part of La Garde-Freinet. It owes its id to a 14th-century tower pertaining to Thoronet Abbey, built by the monks who ruled over the area in medieval times and situated further eastwards. The ancient tower is not open to visitors but you will still enjoy exploring this pretty village, in particular on market day (Thursday morning).

Parish Church

Built in honour of Sainte-Maxime, the original church was rebuilt in the second half of the 18th century. Its chancel features a multi-coloured marble high altar dating back to the 18th century and 15th-century stalls (now a listed Monument) of unknown origin.

stall (stallum)

The word "stall" comes from the Medieval Latin stallum referring to high-backed wooden chairs set along either side of the chancel and reserved for clergymen.

Tour Carrée Tower

The tower dates back to around 1520, when the village of Sainte-Maxime was repopulated by order of the Thoronet Abbey monks, who ruled over the area at the time. It was respectively used as a residence for the local seigneurs (lords), a prison, a loft and a defence post equipped with cannons then, after the French Revolution, as a school, customs warehouse and town hall. Now a listed Monument it currently houses a folk museum.

The famous village of Saint-Tropez was refounded in the late 15th century. Remains from this period include the tower of Château Suffren (on the town hall square), which formerly belonged to the Suffrens - a large family of Provençal aristocrats some of whom ruled over Saint-Tropez in the 18th century. The most famous family member remains Bailli de Suffren. The heart of the medieval village is situated between the town hall square (Place de la Mairie), the sea and the Pouncho quarter, meaning "point" in French. Some remains of the ramparts and defence system can still be seen at Tour-Vieille, Tour-Jarlier and Tour-du-Portalet towers. The magnificent citadel overlooking the village and port dates back to the very early 17th century. Not to be missed!

The mysterious origin of this village's id may come from the Arab Rahmatu llâh, meaning gift from the gods, and remains one of the rare witnesses of Saracen presence in Provence in the 10th century. The medieval village features winding lines, rising up in the shape of a snail's shell. Located outside the ramparts, the parish church dates back to the late 16th century but its bell tower is actually the former 14th-century watchtower. Visitors can still walk large sections of the medieval ramparts around the village.

Many medieval remains are still visible in this little village, ranked as one of "France's most beautiful villages" and perched at an altitude of 201 metres. Don't miss a tour of the village, the Saracen port and the ancient house dated 1422.

Saint-Laurent Parish Church

The church was erected in the mid 16th century and houses several fine fixtures, including the shrine of St Laurent and a golden Virgin.

Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolation Chapel

Situated 500 metres down from the village, behind the cemetery, this chapel was first mentioned in medieval times. It was used as a parish church until the 16th century then largely redesigned in the 17th century. It is now a prestigious summer concert venue.

La Croix-Valmer also formed part of Gassin until 1932. It was an agricultural village, producing mainly cereals, wine, figs and dried vegetables. Goats were also farmed in the village, as throughout the Maures Hills. Current points of interest include vineyards and Cape Lardier.

The Legend of Constantine

In the year 3 AD, the emperor Constantine set off for Rome to challenge his rival Maximus. Legend tells that he when stopped off in La Croix-Valmer to invoke Jesus Christ the form of a cross appeared in the sky, marked with the words in hoc signo vinces, meaning "In this sign conquer".

This ancient quarter of Gassin became a village in its own right in 1929. Historians believe it was originally a small Roman port referred to by the geographer Antonin in his maritime journal. It became a maritime hub in the Middle Ages, home to fishermen, rowdy taverns and prostitutes. Cavalaire is now a modern marina.

Le Rayol-Canadel formed the maritime section of the Mole area. In the Middle Ages, its creeks were used to store wood and other forestry products from the Maures Hills, which were then transported to the major towns of Provence. It became a village in its own right in 1949. The circular "Pergola du Pateck", now a listed Monument, was formerly used to sort wheat. In Provence, wheat was traditionally trodden by horses rather than flailed.

The id of La Mole was first recorded in 1008, and it is the area's oldest locality. The adjacent medieval village of Sainte-Madeleine (Saint Magdalene) (late 13th – 14th centuries), built on a basalt (pumice stone) peak a few kilometres away from the current 19th century village, stages a procession every year on the 3rd weekend of July in honour of Saint Mary Magdalene, who remains dear to the people of Provence. La Mole was formerly situated on territory belonging to the Chartreuse de la Verne Carthusian Monastery, founded in the late 12th century (now part of the village of Collobrières).

In "On the River", Guy de Maupassant describes the Chartreuse de la Verne monastery as

"a colossal, virtually black ruin; the ancient Verne abbey is propped up on the vaults of a long succession of arches."