Tourtour

Overview

A commune.

Where to stay in Tourtour

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What to see, what to do

Place des Ormeaux and its fountains

The heart of the village, once planted with two elms whose planting tradition dates to 1638 (the visit of Anne of Austria); the trees survived until the end of the 20th century. The square and the village have eight historic fountains, including the one on the square, rebuilt in 1853 and again in 2006.

Communal oil mill

A 17th-century mill still in operation, working 'the old-fashioned way' by water power, generally from November to February during the olive-pressing season.

Communal château / Château des Raphélis

A 16th-century château and the walls of the medieval castle; it now houses municipal functions and a town gallery.

Clock Tower

The bell tower of the old village.

Church of Saint-Denis

A 16th-century church.

Chapel of the Holy Rosary

A chapel linked to the Holy Rosary spring, the village's main water source (a catchment vault dated 1779).

Bronze sculptures in front of the town hall

Two bronze sculptures installed on the forecourt of the town hall since 2009, depicting insects (a stag beetle and a red admiral butterfly), attributed to the painter Bernard Buffet, who lived and died in Tourtour in 1999. The sculptures are credited to Bernard Buffet by official tourist sources, information to be confirmed.

Vaulted passages and lanes

Stone houses with round-tile roofs, vaulted passages and sunny lanes characteristic of the hilltop village, with panoramic views over the Provence verte.

Wash house

A wash house built in 1778.

History of Tourtour

The name is thought to come from the Celtic 'Tur' (height, high point), doubled into 'Tör Tör' and then Tourtour. The site saw Roman occupation until the 5th century. In 973, the region was the scene of fighting against the Saracens led by William I of Provence. In 1136, Cistercian monks settled there (Florièyes Abbey). In 1638, tradition records the passing of Anne of Austria, associated with the planting of the elms on the square. The village had 860 inhabitants as early as 1305 and 689 in 1790. Like the whole Haut-Var, it suffered harsh repression after the coup d'état of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte in 1851. Two Resistance fighters were executed there in 1944. The painter Bernard Buffet, long settled in Tourtour, died there in 1999. Population of about 581 inhabitants in 2023.

Events & highlights

CourtsCourts Festival — summer

Open-air screenings of short films, under the stars, over several summer evenings.