Tourist information:
From the top of a rocky outcrop, the hilltop village of Tourettes sur Loup has a breathtaking view on the Riviera. The houses built as walls are built around the city fortified in the nineteenth century.
This village has a rich history and architecture and is still the meeting place of artists and artisans who give life to this village that is worth visiting, especially when Tourettes-sur-Loup is perfumed with Violets.
History
Its name "Turres Altae" means "observation point" and later became "Tourettes."
Searches on seventeen prehistoric and protohistoric sites indicate that Tourettes sur Loup was created during prehistory.
The site was occupied by a Celtic-Ligurian tribe, then by the Romans from 262 BC, until 476 AD. Then followed a half-millennium during which the invading barbarians Wisgoths, Huns, Franks, Lombards stormed the village. In 972, the Saracens took advantage of this steep plateau, easy to defend, to build a fortress.
When Nice was annexed to Savoy in 1388 , the village, then owned by the Grimaldis who rallied to the Savoy, was confiscated by the Count of Provence Louis II of Anjou and given to Guichard Villeneuve . The family maintained this stronghold until 1789. They built the present castle in 1437, including the old twelfth-century belfry.
Under the Old Regime, the village, called Tourettes-sur-Vence, had some significance since it had a hospital.
During the French Revolution, the municipality moved the town hall in the old castle. When the departments were created in January 1790, the village was annexed to the Var and became the chief town of a canton including Courmes, La Gaude, Saint-Jeannet and Vence.
After the annexation of the County of Nice to France by the treaty of March 24, 1860, Tourettes was included, with the entire district of Grasse, into the new department of Alpes-Maritimes by the June 23, 1860 law. To avoid confusion with Tourettes-Levens, village of Nice hinterland, Tourettes-sur-Vence became Tourettes-sur-Loup, in reference to the river bordering the town.
To see / To do :
Tourettes-sur-Loup prides itself on being the "City of the Violet". The winter flower, with a delicate perfume, commonly known as "Victoria", is cultivated in all seasons. In spring, the flower is picked and designed for confectionery. In summer, the leaves are cut to be distilled in different perfumeries in Grasse. In autumn and winter, flowers are picked to form bunches. The traditional Violet Festival which announces spring stages flower parades and flower battles in the heart of the village.
At the heart of the old village, art galleries and designers are grouped. The village has been a mecca for art since the forties and artists flock here, attracted by the scenic beauty and the charm of the old streets. Tourettes-sur-Loup is one of the most attractive villages in the area for Art and Craft.
La Bastide aux Violettes, which opened in spring 2010, reveals the history of Tourettes sur Loup, its soil, its men and women, all the uses of the violet. You can observe the methods of cultivation of the flower in full season by visiting the greenhouses.
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