CULTURE, LEISURE ACTIVITIES and HERITAGE/HISTORY
HISTORY
A SHORT HISTORICAL SUMMARY
Since prehistoric times, the area known today as TOURRETTES has been favourable to human occupation : a number of neolithic settlements have been identified amongst which the most significant is the dolmen of Verrerie Vieille, recognised as a historical monument in 1987.
The roman period has left a considerable number of testimonies including the Roman canal that used to bring the water of the Siagnole Springs to FRÉJUS,and cuts through the north-eastern part of TOURRETTES’ community, partly underground. Archeologists have also spotted an important roman villa * in the Saint-Simon district.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Provence was faced with insecurity, while christianism spread throughout the land.
The important abbeys of Lérins and Saint-Victor in MARSEILLES would compete over the stretch of land from MARSEILLES to NICE. The word : « TOURRETTES » first appears in 1010 in the « cartulaire* » of St-Victor Abbey, referring to the Church, and in 1033, St-Simon chapel appears in the cartulaire of Lérins Abbey.
Insecurity favoured the building of « castra* » (fortified villages or strongholds) throughout the XIIIth and XIVth centuries. Ten have been identified in Tourrettes including the first castle of Tourrettes built by Bertrand de Villeneuve, who became lord of Tourrettes in 1321. The only remaining part of this castle is the Tour de l’Horloge. ( Clock Tower)
The XIVth century brought hard times. Plagues swept through Provence and the war over Queen Jeanne d’Anjou’s inheritance led to gangs of soldiers roaming through the country, destroying and killing . Isolated « Castra » were easy preys, and disappeared. In contrast the village of TOURRETTES was growing under the leadership of the powerful Villeneuve family.
During the XVth and XVIth century, TOURRETTES spread around the old castle and Saint-André Church was rebuilt in 1546. In 1590, the old castle was destroyed by the catholics from Fayence In 1592, the Villeneuve family settled in a mansion within the village which has recently become the townhall .
Farming developed around TOURRETTES, due to its location at the foothill and streams of fresh water flowing from the Alps. Canals were built ,and mills, fountains, wells and « lavoirs » (wash-houses) are to be found along the streams.
In the countryside « bastides* » were built near farming land. The « Grande Bastide » was built by the Villeneuve family and remains, whereas others are now merely ruins such as the « Bastide Saint-Louis ».Some have disappeared altogether as in Tassy.
In the second part of the XVIIth century the Villeneuve family reached the peak of their power, thanks to the fierce cleverness of Pierre de Villneuve, born in TOURRETTES in 1639. After a military career, he raised the status of his land of TOURRETTES to the rank of « County», then took a hold of the lands of Antoine de Villeneuve, « Marquess » of Trans. Tourrettes became a « marquisate » in 1689, and Pierre de Villeneuve became the first Marquess in France.
The last of the Villeneuve-Tourrettes family, Louis-Henri, « the prettiest Marquis in the kingdom », according to King Louis XVIth, was arrested on the 10th of August 1792 by the revolutionary Law Court, on account of his support to the King, and went to guillotine on the 5th of june 1793.
During the XIXth century, the population of Tourrettes gradually decreased, while the main resource of the area remained mediterranean farming. It wasn’t untill the 1950’s that the trend reversed. Fayence and its area opened to tourism, and second homes were built with owners coming from all over France and Europe, owing to the exceptional surroundings and location near the Riviera but away from the crowd. The land has retained the advantages of a rural mediterranean setting, with hillsides covered with olive trees to the north, and pine forests to the south, making TOURRETTES one of the most picturesque hilltop villages in Provence.
If this brief historical summary has roused your interest, you may know more about TOURRETTES and its history by going to the following link set up by « Tourrettes Patrimoine » (ATP), a society working on the study, keeping up and boosting Tourrettes’ heritage.