Draguignan

Currency

Iron pan nutrio, meos devoro (I nourished of all and devour mine)

Geography

Located at approximately 200m of altitude. The culminating point is the Malmont which culminates to 603 m of altitude. Is in extreme cases of the High-VAr. The principal river is the Nartuby which is thrown then in the Argens. Nartuby, river with trout, are drained in summer starting from the hamlet of Rebouillon. The commune extends on approximately 5.370 hectares. Draguignan is located in a small valley of orientation NO-SE, which makes approximately 2 km broad. The town of Draguignan is the fifth city of the department by its population. Draguignan is also under prefecture of the VAr, the prefecture of the VAr being Toulon. One also counts there nearly 40.000 inhabitants

History

The name of Draguignan

It is at the time Roman that the name of Draguignan was formed. All the medieval texts (oldest known dates from the year 909) give unanimously the Latin form Dragonianum or Draguinianum with minor alternatives. However, place names finished in - anum indicates a Gallo-Roman rural field from which name is drawn from the name of the owner followed by the termination - anum. Dragonianum must thus derive from the name of Draconius. The terms pseudo-Latin of the guides or folders tourist: Griminum, Ingrimaldum, invented formerly any part just like Dracenae, another form which gave the adjectival membership “dracénois” strongly dubious, are even invented of all parts. Is to be rejected, also, any bringing together with the name of Arquinaut, medieval habitat near to the village of Tourtour.

Such an amount of worse, therefore, if the name of Draguignan has an origin less picturesque than that which comes from the legend of the Dragon

Prehistory and period pre-Roman.

Towards 2500 before JC, Dracénie was populated of a Neolithic civilization forging copper and raising menhirs and dolmens (dolmen of Pierre of the Fairy for example, close to the hospital). The place of life of this civilization is however not known. On the heights or in the basin?

With the Age of iron, towards 700 before J. - C., of the strengthened villages built out of dry stones are installed on the heights of the future city: in particular that of the Dragon (today close to the wine field of the same name) and that of Seiran. In the city-even, in particular in the district of the Tower of the clock and Négadis, were found a hut, bones and potteries dating from That perhaps suggests that the plain was inhabited but nothing is sure.

The historians and archeologists do not know any much more over this period pre-Roman in Draguignan.

Roman period

Provence is annexed by Rome towards the end of the 2nd century before J. - C.

The Table of Peutinger watch that a Roman way connecting Italy to Spain, while passing by Frejus, Ampus and Laugh crossed the basin of Draguignan. Its exact layout is not known, but one can see fragments of the way to the district of the Dragon, as well as the ruins of the small Roman bridge which crossed Nartuby between Rebouillon and Clappe. It is known that it passed about to the foot of Malmont, for then climbing the hills and passing close to the village of Ampus.

Always thanks to the Table of Peutinger, we know that a transport cafeé named Anteae was located in the basin of Draguignan. However, its exact site remains a mystery. It would be possible that Anteae was in the old city where Roman ruins were found. Another assumption is based on the etymology: there exists a hamlet named Lentier between Draguignan and Ampus: Antaea, Lentier, that is close, the more so as the way probably passed by Lentier. A flat however: this relay was essential before crossing the hills dracénoises, in particular to take fresh horses. However Lentier is in the rise. But the " candidature" Lentier is serious, and this track should not be neglected. To find the site exact of Anteae is one of the current challenges of archeology dracénoise.

Draguignan did not accommodate a Roman city, but a grouping of villa E (in particular that of the district Saint Hermentaire) and farms rested by Roman colonists. One of these colonists was perhaps Draconius , Romain who probably left his name to an agricultural domain in the Dragonianum form which gives Draguignan. These agricultural domains cultivated the vine and the olive-tree, the found Pressoir S testify some. Small Roman farms ancestors of the " bastides" of Provence were found in the neighborhoods of the city. The borough of Draguignan was probably formed at the end of this period.

The Middle Ages

Fall of the Roman Empire at the year 1000, one knows little thing. Some tombs and vestiges, some vaults, some names of bishops.

Draguignan is mentioned for the first time in 909 in the Cartulaire of Cluny. It is about the inventory of the goods of certain Foucher, father of Maieul, future abbot of Cluny: Fagentia cum ecclesia and apendiciis am, Dragoniano similiter what means about: “Fayence with its church and dependences, Draguignan similar”. As there was a villa with church with Fayence, that probably means that this Foucher had moreover a villa with church in Draguignan, probably that of Saint-Hermentaire who always exists.

Shortly after the year millet, a seigniory founded in Draguignan, is controlled collectively by knights and the noble ones. A fortified position rose on the rock where the Tower of the Clock is today. The city belonged to the county of Provence, which was at the time independent. At that time the legend of the dragon killed by saint Hermentaire was created, which attracted pilgrims with the church of the same name (only remaining thing of the villa). The population of the surface of the city increased much at the time. Three officers settled in the city, in particular the bayle, representative of the count (who joined many noble which controlled already the city), and it was one boom. At the 13th century, the counts de Barcelone become suzerains de Draguignan, after the union of the two counties, and a great wall is built around the city. The city was commercial. Many convents are built.

At the 14th century, the city is touched hard by the Black Death, the famine, the economic crisis and the armed robbery. In 1341 and 1357 in particular, the city is attacked by important bands of plunderers. The population passes from 3500 inhabitants approximately in 1300 to 1800 in 1470. It is however a period of great administrative reforms, and the seigniory became more autonomous.

14th and 15th centuries are the great period of the count-kings of Provence, who control moreover the Anjou and Naples and which makes conspicuous entries in Draguignan, comtale city.

The Old Mode

In 1481, Draguignan as the remainder of the Provence is attached to the kingdom of France.

The 16th century is important: the prosperous city, becomes chief town of Sénéchaussée, and with the Ordonnance of Villers-Cotterêts the communal deliberations are written in French. However 80 % of Dracénois spoke Provençal, but bilingualism is essential little by little.

The Réforme touches little the city and the rare Protestants are often massacred, like Antoine de Mauvans. Draguignan remains a city almost entirely catholic. In reprisals, Paulon de Mauvans plunders the city in 1560 hard. In October 1590, the duke of Savoy takes the city.

The 17th century sees the end of autonomy dracénoise and the destruction of the Tour first of the Clock by Louis XIV, to punish the town of be itself allied with the critical . It authorizes its rebuilding however a few decades later.

To the 18th century, the population passes from 4500 to 6500 inhabitants, after having culminated with almost 10 000 in the middle of 17th. The city suffers from the War of succession of Spain as well as War of succession of Austria. It is victim of the Peste of 1720.

Beginnings of the modern history (of the Revolution to the Great War)

The beginning of the French revolution was disturbed little with Draguignan. Two Dracénois were elected with the State-Generals: the Viscount of Rafelis-Broves for the nobility (which will be killed in 1792 during the catch of the Tuileries by the Sans-Culottes) and general Lieutenant Lombard-Taradeau for the Third. The harvest of 1789 having been good, this year as 1790 were calm. Two deputies dracénois were sent to the legislative Parliament of 1791: Honore Muraire (moderate) and Maximin Isnard (of Gironde). The year 1792 was on the other hand less calm, as in all France, with the beginning of the revolutionary Wars and the proclamation of the Republic. Isnard was elected with the Convention and Draguignan was a city of Gironde. Barras was representative on mission in Draguignan. Terror made only 4 decapitated in Draguignan. In 1795, inflation struck the city hard. This same year, Maximin Isnard managed to make indicate Draguignan like Préfecture VAr, after the treason of Toulon. The Fauchet prefect improved the situation of the city which will thrive under the Empire.

Until 1808 harvests was good and of many small industries were established. In 1805, Napoleon named the baron D' Azémar prefect of the VAr. It marked the town of its print. It created what one called the " alleys of Azémar". It made increase the place of the Market and install public lighting.

Starting from 1808 harvests were bad, the conscription to defend heavy France, and replaced Azémar. In 1814, wearied Napoleon, the city was happy to learn the accession with the throne from Louis XVIII. In 1815, the city was occupied by the Austrian army.

In 1834, the military vocation of Draguignan started with the construction of a barracks.

Under Charles X new law courts was built. In 1836, it was the theater. The city thrived then during all the century.

In 1848, Draguignan, city become deeply republican during the Monarchie of July learned with enthusiasm the re-establishment from the Second Republic and was then hostile with the Second Empire. Important disorders took place when Dracénois learned the coup d'etat from Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte of the December 2nd 1851.

Draguignan was modernized much at the time of the Second Empire, in particular with the arrival of the increasingly important schooling and railroad. In 1869, Draguignan elected Emile Olivier for deputy, who will become chief of the government in June 1870. With the plebiscite of 1870, Dracénois voted not massively whereas the France voted yes to 85%.

In the years 1870, an epidemic of Phylloxéra ruined the vineyard dracénois, which spent time to go back some and knew many difficulties. The vine growers will create a co-operative in 1907.

Between the end of 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, agriculture and industry declined, and Draguignan became a tertiary city, encouraged in that by its administrative and military vocation. The barracks Chabrand (which always exists but was partly transformed into civil residence, the remainder being with the abandonment and being used semi-officially as ground of Paint ball) was built in 1913 and accepted a battalion of Alpine hunters. One built also the Departmental records, a new gendarmerie and the Post office (which is always in activity), as well as the general college Ferrié in 1911, him also always in service). Many schools, as many girls as boys, opened their doors. In 1890 arrived the public library, which is always at the same place today. At that time the city discovered also electric lighting, running water in residence, the cinema, the sewers and the telephone.

Politically, Draguignan was republican of center-left and voted for the radical party. Félicien Keyboard, radical, was mayor of the town of 1881 with 1912 and Georges Clémenceau was her deputy of 1885 with 1889 and its senator starting from 1902. However starting from 1898, Draguignan passed to socialism. Gustave Fourment became mayor and deputy of Draguignan.

The XXe century

The First World War was one period of shortage and out of stagnation in Draguignan and more than 200 inhabitants were killed with the face. It was caught up with during the Twenties and reached the course of the 10 000 inhabitants for the first time since the 17th century.

Politically, the city was managed, after the Great War, by a coalition of right-hand side and center radicals. The mayor is then Achille Ditgès. Gustave Fourment, which lost its seat of mayor in 1919, becomes senator in 1920. In 1924, with the return to the uninominal system, the seat of deputy returned to the SFIO, with Auguste Reynaud. It remained it until 1936, date on which Joseph Collomp was candidate SFIO. Auguste Reynaud, like Gustave Fourment, had followed Pierre Renaudel and Marcel Déat - néo-Socialists - in a scission. Joseph Collomp had become mayor in 1925 meanwhile.

In 1936, Joseph Collomp was elected socialist deputy and mayor of Draguignan, and it was one of the 80 democrats who voted against the attribution of the full powerss with Pétain in 1940, contrary to many members of Parliament of the department of Var (Gustave Fourment at the head).

During the Second world war, the town hall is directed by Fernand Escullier. Resistance was rather sharp and several networks were established in Draguignan. Most famous resistant dracénois, Georges Cisson, was shot in 1944. In 1942, the city was occupied by the Italians and in 1943 by the Germans. The Neuling general resided at Draguignan where it installed the PC of XIIe German army corps. Many a dracénois left in the wild zones the High-VAr to form maquis. The Gestapo and the Militia were active in Draguignan.

Draguignan was released by FFI on August 15th 1944 at the time of the Anvil-Dragoon operation. The American and English parachutists landed in south-east, with La Motte. A plate commemorates the place where Resistant the dracénois and the Allied ones made their junction.

Since 1945 the population dracénoise was multiplied by 5. This rise is due to the massive arrival of soldiers (installation of the Artillery School, of the regiment of material support downtown, the Camp of Canjuers in the High-VAr), on arrival of Pied-noir in 1962 and to the many pensioners settling there.

In 1955, the football team of Draguignan arrived in quarterfinal of the Coupe de France of football.

The September 25th 1974, the government made the decision to transfer the prefecture from the VAr to Toulon. That caused the anger of the population, there were riots and the CRS had to intervene to restore the order. In compensation, the general advice of the VAr remained in Draguignan, as well as many departmental services as the Files or the Court of Assizes. The prefecture was changed into sub-prefecture. The Artillery School, which trains all the artillerists of the French Army, also settled downtown.

Since, the city does not cease developing.

Demography

Administration

Blasonnement

Malta-Brown, in illustrated France , volume V (1884), brings back two blasonnements:

Of mouths, with the money dragon.

Of money, with a sinople dragon. with this currency: Nutrio iron pan, meos devoro.

Economy

Draguignan is a primarily tertiary city, even if many Dracénois cultivate the olive-tree and the vine. It is estimated that nearly the third of its population is of near or by far related to the activities of the army. So the active population is mainly made up civils servant (armed, education, hospital, penitentiary…) and the tourist influence remains modest there compared to its neighbors of the coast and this, in spite of a favorable position between the sea and the gorges of the Verdon. Unemployment rate, although in notable fall, remains higher than the national average (of about a 11% semi-2007) but the city shows an undeniable demographic and real dynamism. It attracts much from the presence of many equipment (proximity of the highway, of station TGV of the Arcs…) or of a dynamic commercial fabric, while remaining more accessible than the cities from the seaside handicapped by the lack of land available and the real blaze.

Education

Draguignan counts many schools. There are three colleges: the General college Ferrié, the college Jean Rostand, and the college Emile Thomas like two private establishments: the Holy-Marthe institution (primary and college under contract) and the Saint-Joseph institute (of the primary education to final except contract). Two colleges: the vocational school Leon Blum and the college of Jean Moulin mainstream education. One finds there also the Academic institute of training of the Masters, a technological Academic institute and the appendix of the Faculty of Law of Toulon (capacity with Maitrise). A rumor circulates: the artillery School would be transferred elsewhere from here a few years, and the municipality would install a University in the vacant buildings (it is only one rumor). The army is however strongly established in Draguignan which is in fact the " capital of the artillerie" and the second garrison town of France after Paris. The proximity of Canjuers, larger camp of Europe, should guarantee the perenniality of the school.

Administration

Sit of a Sous-préfecture, Draguignan is relegated today to the row of simple Chef-lieu of the Arrondissement of Draguignan, after having lontemps be prefecture of the department of the VAr (Haussmann was the prefect before being called in Paris). Draguignan accommodates the departmental records and is the seat of the Court of Assizes of the VAr.

Famous characters

the explorer Claude Gay
Louis Moréri, († 1680), Encyclopédiste, studied in Draguignan
Maximin Isnard († 1825), politician of the French revolution
François-Juste-Marie Raynouard, (1761-1836), playwright and historian, born with Brignoles, was lawyer with the bar of Draguignan
Lily Pons (1904-1976), lyric singer (soprano), born in Draguignan
Jean-Marie Auberson (1920-2004)
Alain Connes (1947), mathematician, born in Draguignan
Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès (1817-1880), pharmacist, born with Draguignan, inventor of the Margarine
Edouard Jauffret (1900-1945), inspector of academy and author of school novels of which the famous " With the Country bleu" deceased in Draguignan on January 19th, 1945.

Tourist monuments and places

The Museum of the Artillery

The Museum of arts and traditions popular (more commonly called " Museum of ATP")

The American Cemetery of the Second world war (see Operation Anvil Dragoon). It is a single place in the South East of France, because it honors the unloading allied of August 15th, 1944 called “Dragoon operation”. An impressive bronze chart in relief reports military operations. The cemetery contains 861 burials where white marble crosses and stars indicate the confession of the late ones. Pressed on the wall of the missings, a gigantic sculpture, “the angel of peace” take care on the vault which shelters splendid mosaics

The Dolmen “Pierre of the Fairy”

The tower of the Clock.

The Villa of St-Hermentaire is most famous of the area. She was discovered at the 19th century and was taken at the beginning for a school of gladiators by Agnel D' Acigné, because an engraving on marble of the word " ADIA… " was found. But it of it is nothing. She would have been founded with, but was enriched gradually. Like all the Roman villae , it is divided into leave urbana (residence of the owner and its family) and in leave rustica (exploitation itself). A church of late Antiquity rises there, preserved completely. Thermal baths formed also part of the villa. One found potteries, coins, bones, statues (in particular a statuette of the god Mercure

The castle of the Dragon, with 2,5 kilometers in the west of the city, on a rock headland, with the top of the wine field of the same name. In the legend of Hermentaire Saint, it was with the current place of the Saint-Hermentaire vault that the saint killed the dragon which terrorized the city. The castle occupies a strategic position, because the Roman way, always used at the time, passed downwards. On the Roman charts, the site of Draguignan was noted like a " station" named " Anteae". On one second close headland, the ruins of an old vault (Saint-Michel) are where a hermit lived. This one was charged to sound the bell as the storm threatened, to entreat it.

Twinnings

Tuttlingen (Germany)

Nicknames

Capital of Artillery, Carries from the Verdon, city of the dragon

Media

France the 3 Mediterranean has an office decentralized in Draguignan (179 av de la Première-Armée). Metropolis Radio Draguignan: local radio.

See too

External bonds

Official site of the town of Draguignan

The Community of Agglomeration dracénoise

Draguicity

Sources

Draguignan, 2000 years of history , published in 2000 and coécrit by many specialists, in particular the Boyer abbot, member of CNRS, Pierre Gayrard, Yann Kudo and Charles Clairici, all members of the Survey firm scientists and archaeological of Draguignan.
Saffroy Remi, Political life in Draguignan during the inter-war period (1919-1939) , Master's paper under the direction of Ralph Schor, Nice, 2002,3 volumes, 557 pages.
Olivier Laurent, Draguignan in the Great War (1914-1918) , Master's paper under the direction of Ralph Schor, Nice, 2002,173 pages.
Pierre Jean Gayrard, " A Dragon of Provence. The legend of Hermentaire" saint;. Actes Sud, 223 p. (2001). Present the text of Jean de Nostredame (XVIe S.) on the protective saint of the city and his dragon. See Internet site: undragonprovencal.free.fr
Pierre Jean Gayrard, " Draguignan". Found Time. Equinox edict., 1997, 284 p., illus. History of the city and its historical houses.

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