Seillans

Seillans is a commune with 2510 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011 ) in the Var department in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur. From the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France Seillans was included in the list of the most beautiful villages in France.

Geography and History

Seillans lies close to the first surveys of a wooded ridge nestled 15 km north-east of Draguignan. From there, the view opens up to the south of the lower-lying valleys.

Mentioned in a document, the name of the place is the first time in 814 as Agro Ciliano, later in the year 1013 as Silonem. The name probably derives from the Provencal word Seilhanso what oil pan means, possibly from the Latin proper name Caelius.

The first settlements lead as the 5th century BC, when a small Celtic- Ligurian tribe, the " Sayllens " docked defenses on the hill there. From the Greek colonization, which took place later in the coastal region, this oppidum remained unaffected.

In the Gallo -Roman period individual property originated in the territory of the present village, which later became a colony of Roman veterans. The traces of the Roman era include thermal baths in the town and in nearby Rapiamus, artifacts in Bégude, a funeral stele with inscription in Notre- Dame-de- l'Ormeau and grave times at the Bastide des Saurins.

884 The place was a fief of the Abbey of Saint -Victor in Marseille, later the government went partly to the Counts of Provence and in the 13th century to the Order of St. John. In the 9th and 13th centuries it was occupied temporarily by the Saracens.

Coat of arms

Description: In red, a white rising crescent.

Personalities

• Home of Bernard Pellicot, the builder of the fortress Notre- Dame de la Garde in Marseille
• Home of writer Colomb de Seillans the author of the comedy la Gageure du village, in 1706 set out in the presence of the king.
• Home of botanist Gaston Bonnier (1853-1922)
• 1888 Queen Victoria visited Seillans there to the Vicomtesse de Savigny, to meet the founder of the famous perfumery Seillans.
• Other famous visitors were the journalist, writer and satirist Alphonse Karr, the French Marshal Hubert Lyautey, as well as Princess Diana and the Duchess of York Sarah Margaret Ferguson who spent their holidays in July 1996 here.
• The German painter Max Ernst visited Seillans regularly and settled in 1964 for the last years of his life with his wife Dorothea Tanning down there. Maison forest mountain next to the tourist information center, a Max -Ernst- Museum is located. The bronze sculpture by Ernst at the edge of the Place de la Republique, Le Genie de la Bastille, gave Dorothea Tanning of the city in 1994.
• The Belgian cyclist and journalist Fred De Bruyne (1930-1994) spent his last years in Seillans; commemorating him a place was named.

Attractions

The entire medieval townscape Seillans is worth seeing. In addition, the site offers many interesting streets, squares and buildings.

• The Porte Sarrasine
• Fountain Font d' amont, also called Fontaine d'Amour.
• The church of Saint Léger
• The Castle
• The Rue du Valat
• The Placette Font Jordany
• The Rue de la Boucherie
• The chapel Notre Dame de L' Ormeau

Cultural life

The two-week international music festival Musique Cordiale each year brings classical music with young musicians for the performance.