History of Saint-Tropez

The most ancient Archaeological traces discovered in Saint-Tropez go back to Neolithic times, and there are 6 sites which can be dated approximately from 5000 to 1000 B.C. As far as the Gallo-Roman era is concerned, 3 sites have been unearthed amongst which the most important is the "Roman Villa des Platanes".
Starting from the last quarter of the 1st Century B.C., Romans settled upon our territory, over what is now the town of Fréjus. Farms and Villae (agricultural domains), are then the setting of daily activity, vine growing becoming a major asset of local economy.
The VI th Century is the beginning of times when human life left no trace in Saint-Tropez, and very little over the surrounding area. Only Historical sources mention the passage of Saracens during the IX th and X th Century. The XI th Century sees renewed activity, which for Saint-Tropez, shows the establishment of rural habitat, devoid of fortifications, which traces however, have so far not been discovered.
Totally abandoned during the XIVth Century, due to the various crisis which landmarked that period of History, Saint-Tropez only resumed a constant activity from 1470 onwards when under the leadership of the Baron of Grimaud, Genoese and Provençal families settled on it shores.
In little over a century, what had been but a mere cluster of people developed into a population of 4000 inhabitants. 3 times over the Town Council enlarged the town's precincts, some of the towers, "la Tour Jarlier" "Tour Vieille"and "du Portalet" can still be seen. The village builds itself around the harbour, Tropezians live essentially off and by the sea; thanks to this commercial activity, the surrounding countryside is soon covered with tiny houses, farms and manors.

Listed sites and Monuments:

Saint-Tropez can boast 17 historical or listed sites, monuments and listed natural sites, which is more than all the protected sites of all the other towns of the counties of Saint-Tropez and Grimaud put together. All of the town of Saint-Tropez is listed, particularly the façades of the houses on the harbour, and the port itself, the Citadelle and its immediate surroundings, the area of "la Ponche", the Parish Church "Notre Dame de l'Assomption", the Chapels of "Sainte-Anne, l'Annonciade, la Miséricorde, Saint-Tropez", the "Lavoir Vasserot" and its fountain, the "Tour Jarlier", the Castle and gardens of "la Moutte", the tomb of "Emile Ollivier", the Villa "la Hune" and its garden, the "Latitude 43", the porch of "la "Maison du Maure" and the staircase of "le Corsaire".

Hidden treasures, a fragile Heritage

Those treasures are made of tiny architectural details, vulnerable and fragile traces of our past , which are not protected but are nevertheless highly interesting historically.
Indoors:
Staircases, fire places, windows, doors, ceilings, plaster decorations, parts of oil mills, inside wells, vaulted cellars etc…
Outdoors:
Doorframes, railings and imposts, oratories, wells, fountains, washhouses, canals, wheat beating plots, mills, sheep pens, ovens etc…

Serpentine and Basalt stone

Saint-Tropez is situated in the Maures Massif, a crystalline area whose geology is specific and unusual. There are very little stones for building, the only ones which can be carved are : Serpentine (a very hard green stone, sometimes veined) and Basalt, a volcanic stone, bluish black , often pocked. There were 2 Serpentine quarries, one at a place called la Carrade, now on the Cavalaire area, and the second one at "les Guiols at la Môle. Both Serpentine and Basalt were carved and used for decorating windows and doors, porches, angles and steps etc…

Town Oratories,
Town Oratories are small recesses (a couple of decimetres large), with an oval shaped masonry, they are usually set above the entrance to a house or at the corner of a street, their shape recalls the chancel of our Churches; these humble works are there to bring protection to the building and its inhabitants, or can be a thanksgiving to an honoured Saint.
There are about 40 town Oratories in Saint-Tropez, sheltering a statue of the Virgin Mary, Saint-Tropez, Saint-Anthony of Padua, Saint-Roch or Christ.
Some go back to the XVIIth Century, others are barely a few years old, but all are witnesses to popular faith and as such deserve to be protected, looked after and maintained.

The old rampart and the street: "la Rue des Argentiers" (silversmith street).
This ancient street, ran parallel to the rampart, just behind it. During the XIXth Century, the rampart was in such a poor condition, that the town council decided to pull it down altogether. The owners of the houses were allowed to use the street to enlarge their property. Presently the houses on the Bd d'Aumale are exactly on the same line as the former rampart. Vestiges of the "Rue des Argentiers" and the rampart are still visible, those fragile traces of the town's former architecture are part of its identity and contribute to its Heritage.

Where is the Saint-Tropez of the Middle Ages ?

The exact setting of Middle Ages dwellings in Saint-Tropez, is nowadays still argued about, no abode dating from that period has been found, as opposed to some discovered in La Môle or la Garde-Freinet. Discovering such a house would probably be limited to a few foundation rocks of local stone, nothing much to speak of in fact. However such a discovery would give precious information as to what Saint-Tropez dwellings were like in those times. Beware, plastering might be covering up treasures, roughcasting a façade, might reveal a dated stone, or an ancient opening, as happened in 2005 when a house was renovated Rue Sainte-Anne.

The underground of Saint-Tropez contains many archaeological traces of its glorious past, this is why any request for demolishing or building within a certain perimeter is subject to an authorisation by the Ministry of Culture.

Archaeological sites: the house "la Maison des Platanes"

A remarquable Archaeological research was brought about in 1995 when the retired people's home had to be extended. With the cooperation of the town of Saint-Tropez, and the Var Archaeological Centre, the Roman Villa "les Platanes was thoroughly researched; when a site is destroyed, all the information it might have contained is lost forever.
Saint-Tropez is fortunate to possess many names going back to the Middle Ages, which have been assigned to places or areas such as: La Garonne, Valfère, la Barlière (the place where bowl games were played), les Canebiers (where hemp grew), Les Marres, les Salins, les Carles…
However fashion has twisted names away from their original sense, thus, "Mas" which means a small country house, a Provençal word particularly used in the Arles and Rhône area, has been lavishly used for naming housing estates, districts or villas. Our local equivalent is "Bastide" which is hardly in use nowadays. Names reflect the strong Provençal identity of our village, they also deserve to be protected and kept.