I have my rounds believe it or not but have not been here ! Surprise ? One of these places is Saint Tropez. I found a brochure from the last job my dear late wife Martine worked in Paris and decided it should be in my blog for me and maybe you, The pictures are taken from the brochure of Kapa Promotion her last job in Paris and France before moving with me to Florida USA, and then more, Therefore, here is my take on this is Saint Tropez !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The City of Saint Tropez is located in the Var department , in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of my belle France, I have passed by as too expensive for my tastes but found something nostalgic for my family and decided to do this post with pictures taken from a brochure my dear late wife Martine worked for this company in Paris who did the renovations, You could get to the City on the N98 at the famous La Foux crossroads leads to the village and continues towards the south of the peninsula via the D 93 road, known as the “Route des Plages” or beach route. It marks the boundary between Saint-Tropez and Gassin , The City is located 704 km from Paris, 104 km from Marseille, 60 km from Toulon, 92 km of the Italian border, It can, also, be access by car via the A8 (E80) with the exit/sortie “Draguignan-Le Muy-Golfe de Saint-Tropez” then the D25 to Sainte-Maxime for 19 km and the N 98 for 12 km. By train, Saint-Raphaël-Valescure station, served by TGV, iDTGV, Intercités and TER Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, is located 32 km away.
This was the last project my dear late wife Martine worked in her Paris office with the former Kapa Promotion, they renovated luxurious properties all over France, I did met her boss who is in one of the pictures I took from the brochure, The property was the Château Borelli in the heart of the Parcs de Saint Tropez, This impressive building consists of two majestic towers and a large central section, all covered in extravagant ornamental details. Today, it houses six ultra-luxurious private apartments. A 150 m² apartment in this historic gem would cost no less than 10.5 million euros. Château Borelli is also a historic jewel of Saint-Tropez and holds a fascinating history within its walls.
It is located on the Cap Saint-Pierre peninsula in Saint-Tropez, just above the sparkling waters of Canoubiers Bay, the majestic Les Parcs de Saint-Tropez estate enjoys international renown. The Parcs de Saint-Tropez estate covers 200 hectares contemporary villas with sea views, characterful waterfront properties, luxurious Provençal houses with landscaped gardens, and more ; primarily attracts foreign clients and wealthy investors. Its owners include international figures such as Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, and Jean-Michel Signoles. Among the luxurious villas, the splendid Château Borelli overlooks Canoubiers Bay, nestled in the heart of Les Parcs de Saint-Tropez and offering the only apartments on site: seven prestigious apartments, ranging from 300 to 500 m². Built in 1895 by Mr. Octave Borelli, a wealthy civil servant, this oriental castle is identified by its majestic tower offering a panoramic view of Saint-Tropez. The Borelli family lived in this castle until 1928. It was then taken by the nazis in 1944 and the roof and library were considerably damaged during this trying period. Arriving on this land in 1951, following engine failure on his yacht, a wealthy visionary named Robert Geffroy saw the potential of what would soon become his ambitious project. Robert began working with an enterprising local woman named Maria Leone, who would work with him at Les Parcs for the next 36 years. The vast estate that Les Parcs has become today ,the Parcs de Saint-Tropez ,a landmark for the world’s elite who wish to establish their wealth and status in Saint-Tropez. The castle was finally purchased in 1988 and meticulously restored to its present glory, thanks to a complete renovation and the creation of luxurious apartments. Today, this magnificent château stands like a historic beacon in the heart of Les Parcs, a reminder of the glorious and tumultuous days of the past.
Some other things to see here if coming in to town are the citadel and its marine museum: from the foot of the ramparts, the citadel offers a beautiful panorama of the city, the gulf, and the Massif des Maures. Purchased by the city from the State in 1993. The Guillaume Tower or Suffren Tower. The Portalet Tower or Daumas Tower: 16C. The Jarlier Tower. Rue du Portail-Neuf and the three flying buttresses of the Chapelle de la Miséricorde. Rue Gambetta, opened in the 18C during the golden age of Saint-Tropez, the great families of sailors and merchants had private mansions built there. The port, its lighthouse, and the Café Sénéquier, a local institution. The Place des Lices with its cafés and restaurants. The maison des Papillons or Butterfly House The site of the former gendarmerie, a film set transformed into the Gendarmerie and Cinema Museum of Saint-Tropez dedicated to local actors and films in an iconic former police station.,a movie by Louis de Funes made it famous, The 18C Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption in Italian Baroque style, houses a bust of Saint Tropez surrounded by old blunderbusses from the Bravade and an organ from 1870. Sainte-Anne Chapel: built at the beginning of the 17C. The Annonciade Museum in the Annonciade Chapel built between 1510 and 1558 by the Brotherhood of the White Penitents. The museum was inaugurated in July 1955 and in August Georges Grammont donated the major pieces of his collection to the museum. The Annonciade Museum bears witness to the French School and places itself at the forefront of innovative movements.
As always will tell you a bit of history I like that tell us that from 890 to 972, the Saint-Tropez peninsula was an Arab-Muslim colony under the names of Jabal al-Qilâl “mountain of peaks” and Farakhshinit, an Arabized form of the Gallo-Roman fraxinetu “ash grove”, to be linked to the second element of La Garde-Freinet. Nasr ibn Ahmad was appointed caïd of the Saint-Tropez peninsula in the year 940, a territory in which Audibert son of Berengar, the pretender to the throne of Lombardy, chased by the Germanic emperor Otto I, took refuge between 961 and 963, but they were definitively chased away by William I, Count of Provence, Lord of Grimaud in 976. This lord had a tower built in 980 on the current site of the Suffren Tower in order to better protect the city. From 1436, Count René I , the good King René tried to repopulate Provence, he created the barony of Grimaud. The city was a small republic which had its own fleet and army, and was administered by two consuls and twelve councillors whom it elected. In 1558, the creation of the position of city captain, Honorat Coste, strengthened the city’s autonomy. The captain, elected every year, led the district captains, a bombardier, a militia and mercenaries. The people of Saint-Tropez resisted the Turks and the Spanish, rescued Fréjus and Antibes, and helped the Archbishop of Bordeaux retake the Lérin Islands. June 15, 1637: The people of Saint-Tropez defeated 21 Spanish galleys. This victory led to a bravado on June 15, which glorified the victory of the inhabitants over the Spanish. On August 14, 1948, the Croix de Guerre 1939-1945, with bronze palm, was awarded to the town of Saint-Tropez.
A fishing village at the beginning of the 20C, Guy de Maupassant, suffering from syphilis, came to rest there on his yacht in 1887. He published his logbook in 1888 under the title Sur l’eau, in which he described his arrival in the Gulf on April 12 aboard the Bel.Ami, Paul Signac discovered this small fishing port in 1892 aboard his yacht the Olympia. He bought La Hune, a house which he used as his studio and which became a place of pilgrimage for many painters. The proximity of spa resorts attracted artists such as Colette in the 1920s. Stays by Louise de Vilmorin, Arletty, Jean Cocteau), etc. From the 1950s, Saint-Tropez became an internationally known seaside resort on the Côte d’Azur, notably thanks to the filming of And God Created Woman in 1956, with Brigitte Bardot ,Curd Jürgens ,Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Christian Marquand ; the movie was filmed in plage de la Ponche, and the ensuing craze by the artists of the New Wave.
The Saint Tropez tourist office : https://www.sainttropeztourisme.com/en/
The town of Saint Tropez on its cultural offering : https://www.saint-tropez.fr/culture/les-musees/
The PACA region tourist office on Saint Tropez : https://provence-alpes-cotedazur.com/en/provence/get-inspired/cities-and-villages/saint-tropez/
The unofficial Provence web tourist info site on Saint Tropez : https://www.provenceweb.fr/e/var/sttropez/sttropez.htm
The French Riviera Sotherbys Realty on the parcs of Saint Tropez and Château Borelli : https://www.cotedazur-sothebysrealty.com/en/luxury-real-estate/details/543/les-parcs-de-saint-tropez-prestigious-real-estate-domain/
There you go folks, now you have another story from me of a wonderful place that should be visited even by me eventually, This will be another special post from me for the memories of always, Thanks Martine and thanks France, Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Saint Tropez !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 