La Garde (Var)

La Garde is a French municipality with 25,613 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Var department in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur.

Geography

La Garde in the Var department is located east of Toulon in a broad plain halfway between Toulon and Hyères in the catchment area of the two cities.

History

The place was first mentioned in 1056 as Guarda. In the 13th century it was a fief of the bishops of Toulon, and later he was under the Lords of Castellane, Glandevès and Thomas. The city of Toulon, he served during the Middle Ages as an observation post. During the Wars of Religion in the 16th century La Garde was captured several times, completely devastated during the Spanish War of Succession by the troops of the Duke of Savoy during the siege of Toulon.

In 1894 Le Pradet was detached from La Garde and raised to an independent municipality.

Demographics

Since the early 1960s the town has experienced strong population growth. By the end of the 20th century, the population quadrupled to over 25,000.

Personalities

• Jean Aicard (* 1848 in Toulon, † 1921 in Paris) poet and playwright, member of the Académie française in 1864 lived in La Garde in the villa " Les Laurier roses". The house became a meeting point of contemporary celebrities: Michelet, Emile Ollivier, Frédéric Mistral, Edouard Schuré, Ernest Reyer, Gaston Bonnier, Pierre Loti, Madame Juliette Adam, Charles Richet, Antoine Alballat, Monseigneur Jean Calvet, Paul Gaultier and Edme Tassy.

Economy

• A traditional industry of the place is the Andesitabbau for Straßenbepflasterung Toulon.
• In the agricultural production of vegetables and onions are grown. The quality of wines from La Garde belong to the AOC Cotes de Provence.