Villages de Caractère du Var > Nos villages > Tourrettes

Tourrettes, an open-air museum!

Farmers’ market at Laquet Farm

Festivities:
> Jazz Festival: 1st weekend in July
> The Arts in the Heart of the Village: 2nd weekend in July
> Feast of Saint-Martial: 3rd weekend in July
> Salon des Mangas: last weekend in July
> Opéra express: 3rd WE of August
> Book Fair in early September

It was in 1032 that the name of Tourrettes appeared in the cartulary of the monastery of Lérins, probably evoking the small wooden towers of a small fort built at the time.

Today, Tou rrettes, a perched village in the Var hinterland, offers visitors its cobbled streets, its open-air museum, its artists’ studios, its Museum of Art and Essays, its church of St André capped a magnificent steeple of polychrome glazed tiles, its Chapel of the Penitents, its Washhouse of Boudoura, its Clock Tower, the highest point of the village, its very beautiful squares where it is good to eat and rest while admiring the perspectives of restanques, the agricultural plain, the Massif des Maures and the Esterel … and the flights of gliders from the Gliding centre.

Our beautiful village, on the route of two other neighboring villages of character, Mons and Callian, will seduce you with its rich cultural and artistic heritage and its relaxed way of life.

Do you know?

The Château du Puy, now a private property, was built in 1830 by General Fabre, a Tourrettan polytechnician in the service of the Emperor of Russia for 20 years.

He was inspired by the naval school of Cadets in Saint-Petersburg.

Le village en vidéo

Le village en vidéo

À ne pas manquer !

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Notre Dame de Spéluque chapel

Résumé: A stony path between fields and, at the turn of a bosquet, a small miracle: a Romanesque chapel set in a setting of ancient [...]
Description:

A stony path between fields and, at the turn of a bosquet, a small miracle: a Romanesque chapel set in a setting of ancient trees.
trees.

This listed chapel dates back to the 10th century.

A stony path between fields and a small miracle: a Romanesque chapel set in a setting of centuries-old trees.

This chapel, listed as a Monument Historique, dates back to the 10th century and was probably built on the site of an ancient pagan place of worship.

It is a vast edifice comprising a 3-bay barrel-vaulted nave and a semicircular apse with a cul-de-four vault. The double archivolt entrance portal is topped by a triangular pediment. The squat bell tower dates from the 18th century.

The interior features a beautiful 11th-century altar, listed as a historic monument, supported by 5 pillars of different shapes.

Privately owned, this chapel is currently being restored with the help of the Association des Amis de ND de Spéluque. It has now been restored for religious use and is home to a live-in nun.

Adresse:
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Spéluque, 83111 Ampus, France, Ampus

The Way of the Cross and its 14 stations with a contemporary twist

Résumé: Provence is renowned for the beauty of its pottery, earthenware and tiles. The 14 stations of the Stations of the Cross at Ampus, inlaid [...]
Description:

Provence is renowned for the beauty of its pottery, earthenware and tiles. The 14 stations of the Stations of the Cross at Ampus, inlaid into the rock and enameled, are in keeping with this tradition. The contemporary spirit of these representations is astonishing. Installed on the site of the former château seigneurial, the Way of the Cross designed by Geoff Hindry will punctuate your discovery of the village of Ampus by leading you to the grotto.

Adresse:
le chemin de croix, Ampus, Ampus

The Waterway (Tournaou, Laundry, Mills, Aqueducts, Fountains)

Résumé: As in all Provence, "Ici l'eau est d'or" ("Here, water is gold"). Ampus invites you to take a stroll along the canal. With five centuries of [...]
Description:

As in all Provence, "Ici l'eau est d'or" ("Here, water is gold").
Ampus invites you to take a stroll along the canal.

With five centuries of loyal service behind it, the Canal de Fontigon is a reminder of its essential role in the lives of Ampusians.
In 1497, the canal was dug to bring water from the Hugon fountain to the village. The canal is 7.2 km long and has a 2% gradient.

Adresse:
Le Chemin de L'Eau, Ampus
Tourist office
Town hall