Ollioules

Ollioules (in Occitan Of Provence: Oliulas according to the traditional standard or Ouliéulo according to the Norme mistralienne) is a common French, located just at the west of Toulon in the department of the Var in area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure. Its inhabitants are called Ollioulais.

History

Origins

The territory of Ollioules is attended by the man since Prehistory, in particular during the Neolithic period . Later, this soil is occupied by the tribe Celto-Ligurian of Camatulici, which belongs to the confederation of the Salyens (Salluvii). They build on the hill of Courtine vast a Oppidum, of which remain of important partially excavated vestiges, and maintain the commercial relations with the Greek counter of Tauroeis (Brusc, commune of Six-Furnace-the-Beaches). There are not a Gallo-Roman city, but farms and villas dispersed on the agricultural soil.

It is with the Middle Ages that Ollioules appears strictly speaking. Starting from the end of the 10th century, it belongs to the possessions of the Viscounts of Marseilles, who will not be long in establishing there a feudal castle around whose will be constituted the initial castrum. With the S, the city builds ramparts and develops its trade, the agricultural borough becoming gradually an opulent commercial town supported by the franknesses obtained from the counts de Provence. It is also at the 14th century that the city passes in coseigneurie to the Vintimille and Simiane, two powerful families of the nobility of Provence.

The golden age of Ollioules is between the 15th century and the end of the reign of Louis XIV. During this period, the surface of the city triples and a rich person middle-class develops, which is translated today still in the architecture of the old center. In 1520, the inhabitants repurchase for an important sum the main part of the seigneuriaux rights. One cultivates there the olive-tree, the citrus fruits (lemon trees and orange trees), the fruit and vegetables, but also the saffron, the Câprier and already the flowers.

Tested hard by the climatic risks and the plague of Marseilles, forsaken by its elites with the profit of Toulon and Aix-en-Provence, deprived of its port by separation into 1688 of Sanary (today Sanary-on-Sea), the city is the theater into 1793 violent one engagements enters united and republican troops arrivals to besiege Toulon. The city is occupied and the republican staff settles in September there, under the command of Jean-François Carteaux. By a happy coincidence, the young person Napoleon Bonaparte has to direct artillery and will make in Ollioules the demonstration of his military talent.

At the 19th century, a new boom appears with the culture of the flower. Regarded a time as the capital of the flowers. Initially primarily composed of Immortal commune, the production diversifies soon and, thanks to the arrival of the railroad under the Second Empire, the flowers are dispatched in all the Europe.

Today, Ollioules is a small town of more than 13.000 inhabitants who knew to preserve his character of Provence. The labels “village flowered”, “town of trades of arts” and “more beautiful turnings” were decreed to him.

The Anches for the Instruments wind are famous like best by the largest world Musiciens.

Demography

Blasonnement and currency

Of money, with a torn off sinople olive-tree.

These weapons were recorded in Large Armorial de France under Louis XIV. One is unaware of to which time they go back, but it seems that they were already of use at the 15th century. They are weapons speaking resulting from the Latin name about the city, Oliva .

The currency is " Fidelis Legi semper Oliva " (" Ollioules faithful to the Law as with the olive-tree "), with the alternative " Fidelis Governed semper Oliva " (" Ollioules faithful to the King as with the olive-tree ") who was used in particular under the Restoration.

Situation

In the VAr to 7 km in the west of Toulon and the east of Sanary (5 km) and of Marseilles (57 km).

Municipalities bordering

See too

The old center of Ollioules. Fountains. St. Lawrence church. Vestiges of the feudal castle. Famous throats. Trades of arts. Panoramic sight on the sea of the large brain. National theater of Châteauvallon, the Jonquier nougat.

Festivities

Festival of the Flowers/Corso flowered (April-May)
Medieval of Ollioules (July)
Festival of the St. Lawrence (August)
Festival of Saint-Éloi (August)
Festival of Olivier (first weekend October)

Notes, sources and references

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