Fréjus is a French commune located in the department of Var, in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, at the mouth of the Argens and the Reyran, it is the capital of the canton of Fréjus, the associated seat of the diocese, a seaside and tourist resort on the Côte d’Azur, a town of Art and History and the co-founder of the association of “Towns and Crafts”.
Originally named Forum Julii, the (public) square of Julius (implying Caesar), a Roman city founded in 49 BC AD to oppose the omnipotence of Massilia, then a colony wanted by Auguste in27 BC ADunder the name of Colonia Octavanorum to welcome the veterans of the Legio VIII Augusta. Equipped under Tiberius, she declined to 4th century, when the constitution of the bishopric, second in France after Lyon. Triumph Home City Charles V in 1536, farming division Var since the Middle Ages, city garrison since the 16th century, Naval Air departure of Roland Garros in 1913, minted in 1959 by the cataclysm of the Malpasset dam, Fréjus is with the town of Saint-Raphaël, the economic, cultural and tourist center of eastern Var and the site of the largest French concentration of ancient remains after Arles.
History
The origins of Frejus probably lie with the Celto-Ligurian people who settled around the natural harbour of Aegytna. The remains of a defensive wall are still visible on Mont Auriasque and Cap Capelin. The Phocaeans of Marseille later established an outpost on the site.
Foundation
Frejus was strategically situated at an important crossroads formed by the Via Julia Augusta (which ran between Italy and the Rhône) and the via Domitiana. Although there are only few traces of a settlement at that time, it is known that the poet Cornelius Gallus was born there in 67 BC.
Julius Caesar wanted to supplant Massalia and he founded the city as Forum Julii meaning ‘market of Julius’; he also named its port Claustra Maris (the sea barrier).
The exact date of the founding of Forum Julii is uncertain, but it was certainly before 43 BC since it appears in the correspondence between Plancus and Cicero and 49 BC is most likely.
Roman city
It was at Forum Julii that Octavius repatriated the galleys taken from Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Between 29 and 27 BC, it became a colony for his veterans of the 8th legion, adding the suffix Octavanorum Colonia. Augustus made the city the capital of the new province of Narbonensis in 22 BC, spurring rapid development. It became one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean; its port was the only naval base for the Roman fleet of Gaul and only the second port after Ostia until at least the time of Nero.
Subsequently, under Tiberius, the major monuments and amenities still visible today were constructed: the amphitheatre, the aqueduct, the lighthouse, the baths and the theatre. Forum Julii had impressive walls of 3.7 km length that protected an area of 35 hectares. There were about six thousand inhabitants. The territory of the city, the civitas forojuliensis, extended from Cabasse in the west to Fayence and Mons in the north. It became an important market town for craft and agricultural production. Agriculture developed with villa rusticas such as at Villepey and St. Raphael. Mining of green sandstone and blue porphyry and fish farming contributed to the thriving economy.
In 40 AD Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who later completed the Roman conquest of Britain, was born in Forum Julii. He was father-in-law of the historian Tacitus, whose biography of Agricola mentions that Forum Julii was an “ancient and illustrious colony”. The city was also mentioned several times in the writings of Strabo and Pliny the Elder. In early 69 the Battle of Forum Julii was fought between the armies of the rival emperors Otho and Vitellius. The exact location of this battle is not known, but afterwards Vitellius retreated to Antipolis.
The 4th century saw the creation of the diocese of Fréjus, France’s second largest after that of Lyon; the building of the first church is attested in 374 with the election of a bishop. Saint-Léonce became Bishop of Fréjus in 433 and wrote: “From 374, at the Council of Valencia, a bishop was appointed in Frejus, but he never came. I was the first of the bishops of that city. I was able to build the first Cathedral with its Baptistery.” The decay of Rome led to that of the cities of its empire.
The Middle Ages
Despite the constitution of the bishopric, the silting up of the port led to the decline of Frejus. In 572, the Lombards ravaged the city, followed in 574 by their Saxon allies. In 896, the Saracens made incursions to Apt. The king Raoul confirmed in 924 possessions of the abbey of Saint-Martin d’Autun in Frejus, Vaison-la-Romaine and countries of Viennese. At the end of the ix th century, the city was completely destroyed, the inhabitants had fled to the hinterland and the Saracens settled in Fraxinetum. This situation lasted until 973 when they were defeated by Guillaume I de Provence on earth and the Byzantines at sea. In 990, to retrieve his property, the bishop Riculphe, abbot of Montmajour, obtained from the Count of Provence possession of the city and port of Frejus. He built the Saint-Léonce cathedral and fortified the city.
In 1138, the port of Frejus offered shelter to sailors Genoese who used to come here for a fair. In 1235, the bailiwick of Frejus was instituted, it extended from Gonfaron to Cotignac and from Artignosc-sur-Verdon to the then Italian border. But in the reign of Charles I of Sicily he was reduced and the headquarters moved to Draguignan. Four fairs were held in Frejus, the fourth Sunday after Easter, August 10, the September 21 and September 29. In 1299, Jacques Duèze, from the Duèze de Cahors family was appointed bishop of Frejus, then elected pope in 1316 under the name of John XXII. In 1347, the Black Death ravaged Provence and therefore Frejus.
In 1471, the city had two hundred and sixty-six inhabited houses. A new invasion of barbarian pirates in 1475 again ruined the reconstruction efforts. Then in 1482, when the city was again threatened by the plague, François de Paule intervened and protected the city by a miracle. From then on, he became the patron saint of the town. It is also from this date that the control of the king of France over Provence and the installation of the parliament in Aix made Frejus lose a large part of its independence and the seignorial rights of the bishops.
From the Renaissance to the Empire
In the early 16th century, Frejus was a major site of production and trade of wheat. The vine, the fishing, breeding sheep and pottery represented the other treasures of the municipal economy. This relative wealth allowed Fréjus to grow demographically, despite the invasions of 1524 and 1536, the religious war from 1561 to 1563, the town thus had more than six thousand inhabitants around 1580. It was also the object of lusts and quarrels between thebishops and kings of France. In 1526 and 1565, the bishops gradually lost their privileges to the benefit of the community.
It was in 1536, during one of the wars that opposed for twenty-five years the king of France François I and the Germanic Roman emperor and king of Spain Charles Quint, that the latter organized his triumphal entry into Fréjus, renaming it “Charleville” and setting it up as a duchy. He returned there in 1537 when the Peace of Nice was signed to supply his galleys. During the reign of Henry II the city became an admiralty.
From 1561 to 1563, Protestants were chased and massacred by a viscerally Catholic population in what was called the “Great Days of Frejus”. Calm returned in 1564 on the occasion of the visit of Charles IX and Catherine de Medici to Provence. But in 1568, between the second and third wars of religion, Baron de Cipières was massacred with thirty-five horsemen. When they had stopped in an inn, a crowd formed on the night of June 30 at1 st July with cries of “Death to the Huguenots! ” The consuls negotiated their disarmament against their safe exit, but hardly in the street they were massacred while Gaspard de Villeneuve, baron des Arcs, and governor of the city, had sworn to protect them.
In 1586, the enclosure was enlarged, and the king of France sent a garrison of gascons. Although fervent Catholics, and in contradiction with their reaction less than twenty years earlier, the inhabitants of Fréjus called on the Marquis of Trans, Huguenot, to get rid of these soldiers considered foreigners. They introduced his night troop in December 1588 and massacred the whole garrison. In October 1590, the Duke of Savoy, who had been proclaimed Count of Provence by the Leaguers, made an incursion to Fréjus.
From that time to the end of the 18th century, the city dwindled. In 1707, Prince Eugène invaded him. In 1789, there were no public fountains but two wells. The workforce was lacking, the crops were no longer enough to feed the inhabitants who were however only two thousand five hundred. Twenty-two representatives were chosen to prepare the Estates General. Finally, six of them went to Versailles, one of which was of national importance: Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès. Because of the laws promulgated during this period, the clergylost its power in the commune which was the seat of an important bishopric. The port which belonged to the bishopric was almost completely silted up and was sold as national property. The new buyer chooses to fill it to make it pasture.
It was chief town of district from 1790 to 1795.
The October 9, 1799, General Bonaparte returning from the Egyptian campaign disembarked in Saint-Raphaël and settled in a hotel in Frejus. On this occasion, the community chose a new coat of arms, less royalist and clerical than the first. Later, in 1808, the emperor seized the Papal States and ordered the transfer of Pius VII. The latter on the way back to Savona stayed in a hotel in the town. He returned there in 1814 during his trip from Savona to Fontainebleau. In 1814, Napoleon stayed again in Fréjus before embarking in Saint-Raphaël for the island of Elba.
Recent history
In 1860, the municipality decided to drain the Grand Escat marsh, located between the old town and the sea. This done, in 1882 the town rented the land to fishermen who built wooden huts there. During the same period, the seaside resort of Saint-Aygulf developed, notably under the influence of Carolus-Duran who built a villa there and decorated buildings, notably the church and by the will of the Société du Littoral. British tourists later built villas and hotels in Valescure in the early 20th century century.
In 1905, the new bullfighting tradition made Fréjus the most easterly bullfighting town in the Rhône, out of the Camargue. The October 26, 1911was decided the creation of the naval air base. The September 23, 1913, Roland Garros went down in history for having successfully crossed the Mediterranean by plane between Fréjus and Bizerte in Tunisia. Then in 1915, thanks to General Gallieni, resident of the town and new Minister of War, the town hosted the colonial regiments in “climate transition” camps. These military installations continued to increase until 1920 . In parallel, in 1920, the Fréjus-Plage district was reorganized to accommodate tourists with the construction of hotels., a casino and bathing establishments. The importance of the military presence from overseas was the occasion to build the Hông Hiên Tu pagoda in 1917 and the Missiri mosque in 1928. In 1926 and 1932, the naval air base extended, until it approached the Argens in the west and the railway of the train des pignes in the north.
In 1942, as the German army crossed the dividing line, the Italians crossed Fréjus on November 12, 1942. On November 27, the Luftwaffe occupied naval base. On January 22, 23 and 24, 1943, the Marseille roundup was organized during which between twenty and twenty-five thousand inhabitants of the Vieux-Port district were deported to the internment camp set up at Fréjus in the Caïs military camp. In 1944, a rumor ran through the city: “Napoleon landed here, the allies will do the same”, rumor confirmed by a coded message broadcast to the BBC: “Nancy has the stiff neck”. And indeed, the August 15, 1944, as part of the landing of Provence, the beaches of Fréjus-Plage and Villepey saw the landing of the forces of the Camel Red composed of the 36 th American infantry division. The city was heavily bombed, many buildings were destroyed, but by August 18, the city was liberated, electricity restored for a few hours on August 22, and from the end of the month, clearing began. In 1958, Fréjus lost the seat of the bishopric in favor of Toulon but retained dominion over the diocese.
The December 2, 1959, after twenty-four hours of torrential rain, at 9:13 p.m. occurred the rupture of the Malpasset dam and at 9:34 p.m., the city was dramatically affected by a destructive wave of ten meters high, which made four hundred twenty-three dead, seventy-nine orphans and destroyed one hundred and fifty-five buildings for damage estimated at twenty-four billion francs. The city was helped in its reconstruction by the issuance of a surcharge stamp, the Marianne with the overloaded nave. Following this disaster, two commentaries on Frejus were broadcast in the issuance Five in a column the December 4, 1959 and the February 5, 1960. The November 9, 1961, General De Gaulle came to Fréjus on an official trip, received by the mayor of the time André Léotard. In 1968, it became the godmother town of the 3/60 Esterel Transport Squadron when it was created at 107 Villacoublay Air Base.
The 1 st January 1978The 4 th Marine Infantry regiment settled until 1980, when the town regained some military land and where the 21 th Marine Infantry Regiment settled in the neighborhood of Caïs. The June 6, 1987, the tenth anniversary convention of the Republican Party was held in Fréjus while the then mayor François Léotard was its president. He announced his decision to stay in government when Jacques Chirac asked him to choose between his post as Minister of Culture or political activist. The July 12, 1989, the Port-Fréjus pleasure basin was inaugurated, while the first mention of the project dates back to 1948. InNovember 1991, the city became the godmother of the Lightning TCD of the French Navy.
In 1992, the town participated in the creation of the Cities and Crafts network. In 1993, it hosted Davis Cup events. During one of them the July 16, 1993, the Indian team beat France in the arenas. In 1995, the naval aeronautical base of Fréjus-Saint Raphaël was definitively dismantled in favor of that of Hyères, sealing the end of aviation in Fréjus. From then on, this space was transformed into a François Léotard nature base, a vast natural, sporting and exhibition space.
Environmental heritage
The commune of Fréjus is located in the heart of vast protected areas. Fourteen thousand hectares of the Esterel massif, part of which on the territory of the municipality is protected by the National Office of Forests (ONF), the Villepey ponds are protected by the Conservatoire du littoral under the flora, wildlife and the historical interest they represent, the surroundings of Fréjus and the Reyran valley, the mouth of the Argens are included in Natura 2000 Network sites. The ponds of Villepeyand their ecosystems were badly damaged by the repeated floods that have occurred in the Var since 2010. The blue flag was awarded to Port-Fréjus for the quality of its waters thanks in particular to the “Clean Port” operation. Boaters are also made aware of the need to respect the Pelagos marine sanctuary for the preservation of marine mammals.
The François-Léotard Nature base, built on the former military base with an area of one hundred and twenty hectares, the Clos de la Tour gardens (six hectares) and the Villa Marie (two hectares) in the city center, the parks Aurélien and Aréca participate in the quality of the environment of the town, rewarded by three flowers in the competition of flowered towns and villages.
The Safari de l’Esterel, a twenty hectare zoo created in 1971, is home to over 130 wild species from five continents. Guided walks are organized in the ponds of Villepey and the Esterel forest, the coastal path and the long-distance hiking trail GR 49 cross the town.
The municipality has a municipal service intended for the preservation of the environment and sustainable development. It hosts two treatment plants on its territory on the Reyranand in Saint-Jean-de-Cannes, a recycling center. It has implemented a policy of selective sorting and development of renewable energies with the help of individuals wishing to acquire solar panels and the construction of new municipal buildings respecting high environmental quality standards (Aurélien school group, retreat L’Aubier de Cybèle…).
Beaches
Saint-Aygulf Beach
Vast expanse of fine sand, or cove with the mineral worn by time, each beach is unique, bordered by a promenade bordered by palm trees or overlooked by a path. You will love this moment when the sun plunges into the foam and the tint of turquoise and emerald to give the Mediterranean this unique palette of blues. Contemplative, to sometimes feel like the king of the world of this Gulf of Fréjus, or overflowing with energy on the water
Frejus-Plage
Long sandy beach, it is one of the best known beaches in the Gulf of Fréjus. Close to shops but also to the market which takes place every Sunday, Tuesday and Friday morning.
Calanques of Saint-Aygulf
At the discretion of the customs path, discover the creeks of Saint-Aygulf. Small coves which will make you discover the secrets of the seabed of the Fréjusien Gulf.
Base Nature Beach
La Base Nature, a true green lung of the Côte d’Azur, has its public beach open all year round. With its large parking lot, it is one of the beaches favored by Fréjusiens and tourists.
Handiplage
The Handiplage is a place of reception, sharing and accompaniment to the launching so that the beaches of Fréjus are accessible to all.
Dog-Only Beach
Argens beach, located in Saint-Aygulf is the beach reserved for dogs of the City of Fréjus.
Culture and heritage
It is fascinating this close link between past and present, dotted with majestic monuments, offered by the 2000 years of history of Fréjus. Founded by the all-powerful Rome under the will of Julius Caesar, crossed by Siéyès and the French Revolution, a stopover by Napoleon Bonaparte and today in the heart of the world with its Marine Troops. Here, History reads like an open book and grazes with your hand on the worn stones.
The Roman Amphitheater
Proudly erected on the outskirts of the city, the Roman amphitheater of Fréjus stands out as one of the emblematic monuments of Fréjus. Being able to welcome today some five thousand spectators and more than double in its time, it is revealed to us as the testimony of a great people animated by games, shows and gladiator fights.
The Episcopal Group
The Fréjus episcopal group constitutes a set of four exceptional monuments. The cathedral marks the entry of the bishopric into the region from the year 374 and since then it has continued to change over time. The baptistery, an eminent testimony to the expansion of Christianity, marked many souls with its blessing and the looks on its columns of marble and granite are always admiring its beauty and its time.
The cloister is an open book on the representation of the world in the 14th century: its frame decoration is unique in France. The Episcopal Palace, which has become town hall, proudly displays its medieval facade and secretly guards the treasures of its past.
The Roman Aqueduct
42 km long, 481 m drop, 36 arches in just 20 years of construction, the Roman aqueduct of Fréjus is an exceptional work. For the curious, lovers of antiquity or for contemplative poets, he was and remains a source of… admiration. Victor Hugo himself wrote: “The new and complete aqueduct was undoubtedly beautiful two thousand years ago, but it was no more beautiful than this gigantic collapse spread over the whole plain, running, falling, rising. Ivy and bramble hang from all these magnificences of Rome and time”.
Roman Theater
Conceived by the Greeks then taken up by the Romans, the Roman theater of Fréjus is the space dedicated to art where actors, poets and musicians of antiquity are staged. True place of popular gathering, the Roman theater of Fréjus comes to us 2000 years later, bruised by abandonment, emaciated by time, but ennobled by the revealed history of which it is the guardian. Redesigned to regain its original function, the Roman theater now sports a contemporary structure mixing iron with vestiges revealing a great civilization.
Villa Aurélienne
Inspired by the Italian Renaissance, the Palladian villas (in reference to the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio) are two in number in France, including the Aurélienne villa in Fréjus. Built at the end of the 19th century, it takes its name from the Roman Way known as Via Aurélia, whose route is nearby. The villa overlooks a huge wooded park and flourishes in the heterogeneity of its influences (ancient, classical, oriental). Originally a holiday residence, it nowadays lends itself to the effervescence of summer cultural festivities.
Our Lady of Jerusalem Chapel
Warm and contemporary, the Notre Dame de Jerusalem chapel or Cocteau chapel ranks among the range of eclectic monuments that takes shape around the heart of the city.
There the sensual curves drawn by Cocteau, dancing and hugging to the rhythm of the sun rays tinted with stained glass. Between the drawings of a poet soon swept away by illness and the works of the artists who succeed him, the visitor becomes an explorer of a world populated by holy characters with naive and delicate looks.
The Malpasset Dam
On December 2, 1959, tearing through the night, a 40-meter high wave broke the Malpasset dam with all its strength and swept across the valley to the town of Fréjus. Built for the glory and wealth of the department, this dam unfortunately only causes disaster and despair. Nestled in the Reyran Valley, the dam is still visible as a petrified testimony to the greatest civil disaster of the 20th century.
Missiri Mosque
Like a mirage, the Missiri Mosque appears in the landscape of Fréjus, bursting with its ocher, breaking the celestial azure. An unusual and unique monument in France, it remains faithful to the architecture of West African mosques. But as a mosque, it has only the name: it was rather a place of welcome and meetings which, for a moment, gave the Senegalese infantrymen landed in 1917, the warm atmosphere of the country they had left.
Hông Hien Tû Pagoda
You are well in Fréjus. Yet it is by crossing a pretty wooded park that the Hông Hiên Tu pagoda invites you to a Buddhist spiritual journey. Respecting the traditional architecture of Vietnamese Buddhism and adorned on all sides with sacred statues, its shimmering colors participate in its exoticism.
Erected at the request of the Indochinese soldiers based in Fréjus in 1915, the pagoda allows them to practice their religion with dignity. The oldest pagoda in Europe, it is still active today.
War Memorial In Indochina
On the outskirts of the city materializes the heavy past of the wars in Indochina whose Memorial is the funeral collection. Dedicated to soldiers and civilians who died for France and repatriated to the territory, the memorial totals 24,000 burials placed in the adjoining necropolis, with a perfect circle and modern and solemn architecture. Enter the circle and the emotion takes you, as the places are marked by patriotic sacrifice.
Statue of General Agricola
General Agricola pauses in the Historical Heart. Bulging muscles, military uniform of the famous 20 th Legion, Ladies and Gentlemen, come and admire the harmonious perfection! Julius Agricola, better known for being governor of Great Britain than for being born in Fréjus, narrowly missed the title of Roman emperor! Enthroned on its pedestal, its youth and its force shape the sculpture but the dark iron which forged it nevertheless reveals the obscure destiny which was predicted to it.
Black Army Memorial
Monument to the glory of the African army that fell for France in the First World War, the sculpture of the Black Army Memorial pays tribute to the contingents of the French colonies installed in Fréjus in 1915. The work is immersive: the setting in solemn scene, grave faces. Strong with symbols, it is the sense of sacrifice that we perceive through the hieratic bodies and the gazes carried to the sky. The epitaph, signed Léopold Sédar Senghor, indicates in this sense: “Passers-by, they fell fraternally united so that you remain French”
The Roman Pool
A unique vestige in France located in an unusual place, the Roman pool of Fréjus is a recent discovery updated less than ten years ago. It is in a mysterious clear obscurity that one reaches an archaeological crypt where several fish basins and their impoundment system worthy of Roman engineering are revealed.
The Porte D’orée
Arch and pillars still standing, the Porte d’Orée is adorned with its most beautiful shades of sandstone that lighten or darken to the rhythm of the sun, while coexisting with brick, the Roman material of choice. Unique testimony at the foot of the presence of ancient thermal baths in Fréjus, its incorrect name does not make it a door, even less golden, but one of the arches of the large cold room of thermal baths.
The Porte Des Gaules
The door of the Gauls, today filled with stones and History reveals its beauty to us through the wild caper bushes which pierce it everywhere. Impenetrable today, it nonetheless indestructibly demonstrates, through its monumental pillars, the grandeur of the Roman city of which it was one of the four main entrances. Escaping any perspective one would think a romantic illustration where nature and the old stones covet and unite. And as if by magic, the Porte des Gaules disappears and reappears depending on whether we see it or deign to look at it.
The Roman Rampart
The Roman rampart of Fréjus is a “beautiful ruin” as Victor Hugo wrote. A vestige trapped in the suffocation of the intertwined branches, it remains visible in the middle of a wooded garden. Follow the path of the park and your discovery will be punctuated by walls, towers, and arches, all from this Roman rampart. This stone colossus which surrounded and protected Forum Iuli (Fréjus) was the first testimony to the grandeur of the city that a foreigner saw upon his arrival.
The Lantern of Augustus
Today fully filled, the ancient port of Fréjus, whose remains have been classified as Historic Monuments since 1886, is located inland. The entrance to the port was signaled by a construction known as the “Lanterne d’Auguste”.
Architectural heritage
The heritage of Fréjus is rich in the various periods of occupation of the territory by Man. This heritage is partly highlighted in the context of the city of art and history classification. The first trace of occupation still visible dates from the occupation of the Ligurians with the dolmen of L’Agriotier at Saint-Aygulf.
The richest architectural period in Fréjus is undoubtedly the creation of Forum Julii, a Roman colony with many buildings, which makes it the richest concentration in France after Arles. The most remarkable are:
the amphitheater;
the aqueduct;
the theater.
The old town, partly listed as a historic monument, is home to many architectural elements: the remains of the ramparts, the gates of Rome, the Reyran, Orée, the Place Agricola with the door of the Gauls, the citadels on the Butte Saint-Antoine and the platform with a cistern and thermal baths, an exedra on the butte Saint-Antoine, a pavement in Via Aureliawhich passed through the city, columns, the remains of the ancient port with the remains of the north quay, the mole and the lantern of Augustus, a mosaic entitled “In the fight of roosters” in a private property, the sewers under the current rue Jean Jaures.
Elsewhere in the territory, there is a mausoleum of the 4th century rue de La Tourrache in the area of Villeneuve, the remains of a suburban villa at La Rose des Sables, a bridge to Cantonniers and another with three arches Esclapes, a fuller’s workshop at the Arsenal, vestiges at Villepey, a necropolis in the Sainte-Brigitte district, at sea, fishponds on the coast of Saint-Aygulf made it possible to keep live fish. Very recently, archaeological excavations were carried out during the destruction of the old stadium in the city center, revealing the presence of several Roman villas.
From the 4th century, Frejus became a first of bishoprics France. From this period remain only little remains except the foundations of the cathedral and the baptistery of the 5th century. The Middle Ages was rich in Frejus and there remain more numerous buildings, including the remains of the chapel Saint-Lambert ‘s 6th century, the cloister Romanesque of the diocese dates back to the xii th century, like the nave and the left aisle of the cathedral. The narthex, the bell tower and the fortified facade date from the 8th century. The decorations like paintings of the cloister or ceiling carpentry, the arches of the gallery of the cathedral date from them the 14th century in style High Gothic. The City Hall also dates from the 14th century with its library, the archives in the old chapel and the square defense tower. Finally, the stalls, the arched gate and the gate of the sacristy date from the 15th century. The whole constituted the episcopal city of Fréjus.
The period of the Renaissance remain the front door of the cathedral, the crucifix and the representation of the Nativity and St. Francis Chapel Paule , all of the 16th century, the statues of saints in the cathedral door monumental hotel in Sieyes street, the chapel of the old convent Montgolfier Street and St. Aygou chapel of the xvii th century. The 18th century left the hotel Four Seasons avenue du General de Gaulle, the Auberge des Adrets, hideout of the bandit Gaspard de Besse, the Château de Villepey and the Sainte-Brigitte du Reyran chapel.
The xix th century was marked by the construction of Villa Marie and Villa Maria, the castle Aurélien and the battery of Saint-Aygulf, former hospital now the courthouse, the fountain of the Five Continents on the place Paul Vernet, the Turcan school, the station, the Villa Clythia, the Grand Hôtel Coirier in Valescure.
Finally, the 20th century saw the town enrich the castle Gallieni , the Missiri mosque in 1930, the building Lido in a Venetian style in 1934 , the memorial of the Black Army, the dam of Malpasset in 1954, the memorial of the battles of Indochina next to the Hông Hiên Tu pagoda, the Cocteau chapel in 1963, Port-Fréjus and Albert Camus high school by architect Norman Foster in 1993. The Missiri mosque built in 1930, the Notre-Dame-de-Jerusalem chapel known as “Cocteau” built in 1963 by the architect Jean Triquenot and the buildings of the La Fréjusienne cooperative built in 1921 by the architect Henri Draperi benefit the label “Heritage 20th century”.
Museums
Archaeological Museum
A large model of the Roman city of Forum Iulii, produced in 2006, welcomes you at the entrance to this museum. The collections are presented in four rooms of the 13th and 16th centuries of the Episcopal group of Fréjus. In each of them, through objects from archaeological research carried out from the 17th to the 20th century, an aspect of the history, town planning, economy and daily life of this city is tackled. Roman era.
Marine Troops Museum
The Musée des Troupes de Marine de Fréjus invites you to discover the history of overseas France and the Troupes de Marine. The weapons, which gave its colonial empires to France, reveal their history to us through the windows. It is also the armaments which serve as a common thread for the visit to the Marine Troops Museum, the multiple collections of which bear witness to the engineering of the Army over the centuries.
Local History Museum
The Museum of Local History is a return to the sources: it is the respect for ancestral traditions, the work of cultures, and the inhabitants in love with their lands which shaped it in their image. Provence offers you everything authentic and you want more! Come discover or rediscover the small and great history of Provence and Fréjus from the 19th and 20th centuries at the local history museum. You will feel the scent of the life of our elders, made of hard work, pain and shared happiness.
Festivities
Several events are organized in the town during the year. There are traditional religious festivals such as the Bravade in April or May, precisely the third weekend after Easter, in honor of the patron saint François de Paule which lasts three days on Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning, the feast of Saint Pons the last week of May, the feast of Saint John in June, the feast of grapes in August where a bunch of grapes is pressed into the chalice, the votive feast of Saint-Aygulf in September, that ofTour de Mare and finally Christmas with the Santons Fair in December and the Midnight Mass with its living nativity scene on December 24.
In addition, there are local traditions with the carnival in February, the wine festival in May, the Giant Omelette festival organized jointly with Dumbéa.
The town relays national events such as the Fête de la Musique, Heritage Days or the Telethon.
Sports events are organized with the nautical festival in May, the Feria de la Côte d’Azur the second week of August, the round of the French Off-shore championship the last week of August in the Gulf, the Roc d’Azur in September, the international kite festival in October.
Exhibitions or fairs regional with the show horse in April, and the International Dog Show, the salon of the postcard in July, the Salon of the Automobile in September, the lounge & Home Decor in November.
Cultural events such as the festival of short film in January, the Museum Night in May, the theater festival Nights Aurelian between July and August, the Festival of Fireworks Nights of Port Fréjus.
The town is a member of the Union of French Bullfighting Cities.
French Riviera
The French Riviera is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from Cassis, Toulon or Saint-Tropez on the west to Menton at the France–Italy border in the east, where the Italian Riviera joins. The coast is entirely within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France. The Principality of Monaco is a semi-enclave within the region, surrounded on three sides by France and fronting the Mediterranean. Riviera is an Italian word that corresponds to the ancient Ligurian territory, wedged between the Var and Magra rivers.
The climate of the Côte d’Azur is temperate Mediterranean with mountain influences on the northern parts of the departments of Var and Alpes-Maritimes. It is characterized by dry summers and mild winters which help reduce the likelihood of freezing. The Côte d’Azur enjoys significant sunshine in mainland France for 300 days a year.
This coastline was one of the first modern resort areas. It began as a winter health resort for the British upper class at the end of the 18th century. With the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century, it became the playground and vacation spot of British, Russian, and other aristocrats, such as Queen Victoria, Tsar Alexander II and King Edward VII, when he was Prince of Wales. In the summer, it also played home to many members of the Rothschild family. In the first half of the 20th century, it was frequented by artists and writers, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Francis Bacon,h Wharton, Somerset Maugham and Aldous Huxley, as well as wealthy Americans and Europeans. After World War II, it became a popular tourist destination and convention site. Many celebrities, such as Elton John and Brigitte Bardot, have homes in the region.
The eastern part (maralpine) of the Côte d’Azur has been largely transformed by the concreting of the coast linked to the tourist development of foreigners from North Europe and the French,. The Var part is better preserved from urbanization with the exception of the agglomeration of Fréjus-Saint-Raphaël affected by the demographic growth of the maralpin coast and the agglomeration of Toulon which has been marked by urban sprawl on its part West and by a spread of industrial and commercial areas (Grand Var).