Solid mass of Esterel

The massive of Esterel (in Occitan Of Provence: Esterèu according to the traditional standard and the Norme mistralienne) is a crystalline mountainous solid mass of low altitude, located in Provence, between the Var and the the Alpes-Maritimes, in the south-east of the France.

Etymology

Several assumptions exist concerning the origin of the name of the solid mass:

pre-Latin ester (rock);
Latin sterilis (because of the poverty of the grounds);
sueltiri of the name of a tribe celto-Ligurian having occupied the place.

Geology

Orogenesis: it is a solid mass Hercynien (old). At the end of the Paleozoic or primary era, 250 million years ago (system Permien), an intense volcanic activity reigns during 30 million years with emission of Basalte S then of Rhyolite S (volcano of Moor-Old woman). Then, the solid mass undergoes a very strong erosion during the secondary era (Mesozoic) (- 150 million years).

During the Quaternary eras tertiary (Cenozoic) and , alpine rising makes rock the solid mass in the sea the Mediterranean.

Great East-West directed faults (lava amaranths).

Rocks of Esterel find in Corsica (the drift dates from the tertiary era)

More over the successive eras, to see the geological time scale.

History

Protohistoric time

Paleolithic: presence of gravers of Noailles on the site of Gratadis close to Agay. The gravers of Noailles are flint tools. It is a graver of angle, sometimes multiple, on truncation and notch of stop (archaeological cf museum of Saint-Raphaël) . The gravers of Noailles draw their name from the cave éponyme in Corrèze, close to Brive.

Megaliths: menhir of Peyronne Surface, the raised stone, the veyssières

Occupation of Esterel by people celto-Ligurians (for example Ligauniens above the town of Frejus). Reprocess of Oxybiens after the Roman invasion of 57 av. J. - C., they leave constructions like: oppidum of the Rastel d' Agay, the Saint Martin's day mount close to Mandelieu, on the bonnet of Cappelan, with Barban remainders of a village and finally on Auriasque a spectacular fortress with double dry stone rampart still visible by far today.

The rhyolites were exploited as of the Antiquité for the manufacture of grinding stones, for example the meulery of Bagnols-in-Forest (for the mills with oil and cereals). Practically released grinding stones were discovered, sign which the inhabitants of the time had had to flee in front of a danger: an interruption of the exploitation took place at the 14th century (period of the great epidemics: plague…) The exploitation which continued until the 18th century. Grinding stones of ryolithes of Esterel were found in the wreck of a boat of the type buckwheat the 10th century.

Antiquity

Colonization of the shore by the Greeks: foundation of Marseilles by the Phocée NS in 600, towns of Antipolis (Antibes) and of Nikaïa (Nice)…

Occupation then by the Romans (the way aurélienne, paved and broad of 2,50m, linked the region to Rome via Fréjus, forum Juli ).

A milliary terminal was found (name of the distance - thousand, 1,478 km - separating the terminal from Rome on the layout of current Nationale 7, close to the inn of the Adrets of Esterel)

Christianity

- Holy the Balsam is the cave of the hermit Honorat of Arles (Holy Honorat) (IVe century of the Christian era). See the Emptied of Saint Honorat of the poet Raymond Féraud (13th century). The inhabitants of the corners jealous of the popularity of the Sainte Balsam of Marie-madeleine in the west of the department of the VAr also donnérent this name with the cave of saint-Honorat. They went up to visit him. In front of the surge of pilgrims, it was exiled a few years later on the most inhospitable island of the Lérins, to which it gave its name. With the son of the centuries of other hermits also settled in the cave.

Others

The solid mass was the haunt of robbers a long time: Gaspard de Besse (1757-1781), which détroussait the travellers and tax officials at the 18th century, sheltered there. Its history inspired Jean Aicard for his novel “ Maurin of the Moors ”. “To pass the step” of Esterel was a famous expression and toponymy still testifies to the insecurity of these places (cf forest House of Malpey, “bad mountain”)

Refuge also of the convicts escaped from the bagne of Toulon.

With the 19th century, more systematic penetration and economic exploitation (stoppers starting from the cork oaks…).

Construction of the Forest Houses (Three Terms, Gratadis, Roussiveau…). The name of the Forestry expert Auguste Muterse (1851-1922) remains attached to this period (construction of the roads…)

Second world war

Unloading of Combined in Dramont (Operation Anvil Dragoon, August 15th 1944) after a commando took the Viaduc of Anthéor (more with is).

Yesterday and today: urbanization of the littoral…

Composition and situation

Crystalline solid mass of volcanic origin of the south-east of France being thrown in the the Mediterranean between Saint-Raphaël (VAr) and Mandelieu (the Alpes-Maritimes).

Composed of porphyry S, volcanic rocks, which give him its reddish coloring.

Separated from the Moors by the valley of the Argens. The relief is shredded and deeply gullied (Grenouillet, Malinfernet…).

Remarkable points:

Rastel d' Agay
Peak of the Russet-red Cape
Peak of the Bear
Lake of the Squirrel
Rock St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
Mount Vinegar (culminating point)

Climate

Mediterranean climate, hot and dry summers, soft and rather dry winters, wet autumns due to the fact that the Mediterranean stores heat, rains being able to be torrential involving a strong erosion.

Surface

320 km ² (130 km ² classified and protected, 60 km ² of national forest maintained by ONF)

Culminating point

the mount Vinegar (618 m)

Other tops:

558 m Suvières
492 m Peak of the Bear
453 m Russet-red Cape
322 m Peak of Aurelle
287 m Rastel d' Agay

Fauna

Stag, Wild boar, Lizard, Tortoise of Hermann, bearded Gypaète, cicada, butterfly…

Flora

It varies according to the exposure: the Adret (southern slope), very sunny and dry has a typically Mediterranean vegetation which had to adapt to limit the evapotranspiration (glazed sheets and coriaces…). The northern slope of the solid mass (Ubac) is fresher and wet (microclimate rather close to the alpine type with the presence of ferns, houx, heathers…). The vegetation had to adapt to very poor grounds: volcanic, hard and acid grounds, therefore little dégradables and washed by the rains. The lake of the squirrel, not of water permanent, offers a typical vegetation of the wetter mediums.

Raised layer

Maritime pine, Umbrella pine, Cork oak, Eucalyptus, olive-tree…

Scrubland and undergrowth

Lavender, Genévrier, Rosemary, Thyme, Cane-apple bush, heather (callune), cistus, broom, myrtle, mimosa, cinéraire, mastic tree, cane…

Leisures

Excursions, VTT, climbing (Roussiveau…) Caution: during the summer, and in particular during the periods of mistral, the roads are closed in order to protect the solid mass, regularly victim of the fires (1986, 2003…). In 1964, it quasi totality of the forest was devastated by a gigantic fire.

Fight against the fires: to prevent and cure…

Access

By the French Highway A8, left n° 38 with Frejus - Saint-Raphaël. To take the direction of Frejus/Turn-of-Pond.

To visit the interior to follow the Trunk road 7 which walks on inside the solid mass while passing by famous the Auberge of the Adrets, close to its culminating point the Mont Vinegar.

To discover the Creeks to continue in direction of Saint-Raphaël center, then Agay by Valescure. Many forest roads accessible, are marked out by the panels of information of ONF. Starting from bay of Agay, the road of the Cornice of gold, created on the initiative of the Touring Club of France, inaugurated officially the April 11th 1903, skirts the sea until Cannes. The opposition between the blazing red of the rocks and the blue of the Mer offers a contrasted landscape particularly moving to the rising by Sun. Among the remarkable passages: the Holy rock Bartélémy, the Creek of Aurèle and point it of Esquillon. The road, extremely sinuous, lost its row of Trunk road 7 as of the Entre-deux-guerres (1935) to become Trunk road 98.

See too

Tourism in the Alpes-Maritimes
Road of the seaside (the Maritime Alps)
Photographs of Esterel

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