Ampus

Overview

Commune of the Var (83), arrondissement of Draguignan, canton of Flayosc, member of the Dracénie Provence Verdon agglomeration community; labelled a “village de caractère du Var”. Outside the Verdon Regional Nature Park.

Landscape and nature

A heavily wooded territory: forests and semi-natural areas cover 86.2% of the land (Corine Land Cover, 2018). The plateau is cut by the gorges of the Nartuby d'Ampus, a river that flows at the foot of the village; the commune lies in the Argens catchment, of which the Nartuby is a tributary. It also has several Natura 2000 sites, including the Bois des Clappes (shared with Châteaudouble and Tourtour), and several ZNIEFF zones (areas of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest). The rocky habitats shelter, among others, the golden eagle, the common raven and the eagle owl. A modified Mediterranean climate; annual rainfall of the order of 840 mm (1971-2000 period).

Where to stay in Ampus

Hotels, campsites and gîtes in Ampus, with their real rating when available — no platform commission.

• Aire camping car Ampus Motorhome area 4,1 (34 Google reviews) Verified on site

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What to see, what to do

Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Spéluque

A Romanesque chapel, also known as Notre-Dame-du-Plan, consecrated in 1090. It was a priory of Lérins Abbey until the Revolution. Listed as a monument historique by order of 26 June 1990 (Mérimée ref. PA00081524), it contains an 11th-century Romanesque altar supported by five pillars, and a Roman milestone stands nearby. Privately owned and returned to worship, its restoration is being carried out with the association of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Spéluque.

Church of Saint-Michel

A parish church of the diocese of Toulon-Fréjus, built in 1085 and at that time attached to the monastery of the Lérins Islands.

Chapel of Saint-Roch

An 18th-century chapel at the entrance to the village.

Way of the Cross

A Way of the Cross with stations decorated with mosaics, at the top of the village, on the site of the former fortified castle.

Chemin de l'eau and the Fontigon canal

A waymarked trail that follows the Fontigon canal, about five centuries old. The canal supplied the flour mill, the wash-house and the town hall fountain, and made it possible to irrigate fields and gardens. The trail runs through the village.

Dolmens of La Colle and Marenq, Mourjaï menhir

Megaliths attributed to the Neolithic, evidence of very early human presence on the territory of the commune.

Roche-Aiguille

A natural rock of calcareous tufa at the exit of the village, included in a Natura 2000 site (“Le Rocher dit La Roche Aiguille à Ampus”).

Castle ruins and Porte Sarrasine

Remains of the former fortified castle and of the Porte Sarrasine (Saracen Gate), two heritage features recognised by the commune's local urban plan.

History of Ampus

Human presence is attested from the Neolithic onwards by the dolmens of La Colle and Marenq and by the Mourjaï menhir. Remains bear witness to the Roman presence, notably a fair held in the Plan d'Ampus district. Along the ancient Roman road linking Forum Julii (Fréjus) to Riez, Emporia or Emporium (Ampus) developed and was fortified in the early Middle Ages: the oldest form of the name, Impuris, is recorded in 990-997 and recalls the Latin emporium, a trading post. According to the historian Dubec, the Templars owned the estate of Lagnes at Ampus in 1171. The “castrum de Rainier” appears in the lists of places of the diocese in 1232-1244. The village was fortified by the Counts of Provence and served as a refuge for the Protestants who threatened Draguignan during the Wars of Religion.

Getting to Ampus

• Nearest train station: Gare des Arcs-Draguignan