Saint-Tropez

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Saint-Tropez
Saint Tropez Eglise.jpg
Church of Saint-Tropez
Flag of Saint-Tropez
Coat of arms of Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is located in France
Saint-Tropez
Administration
Country France
Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department Var
Arrondissement Draguignan
Canton Saint-Tropez
Mayor Jean-Pierre Tuveri
(2008–)
Statistics
Elevation 0–113 m (0–371 ft)
(avg. 15 m or 49 ft)
Land area1 15.18 km2 (5.86 sq mi)
Population2 5,690  (2006)
 - Density 375 /km2 (970 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 83119/ 83990
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 43°16′24″N 6°38′23″E / 43.273296°N 6.639621°E / 43.273296; 6.639621

Saint-Tropez (French pronunciation: ​[sɛ̃.tʁɔˈpe]; Sant Tropetz in Occitan) is a Provençal town, 104 km (65 mi) to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez.

It is located on the French Riviera, and it is known today for its famous and extremely wealthy summertime guests. It has been dubbed the 'playground to jetsetters, fashion models, and millionaires', and it is most-enduringly known as the place where the iconic Brigitte Bardot was "discovered" and for its role in the liberation of southern France during World War II.

Saint-Tropez has had a varied history. It was a 15th-century military stronghold, an unassuming fishing village at the beginning of the 20th century, and the first town on this coast to be liberated during World War II (as part of Operation Dragoon). After the war, it became an internationally-known seaside resort, renowned principally because of the influx of artists of the French New Wave in cinema and the Yé-yé movement in music. In latter years, it has been a resort for the European and American jet set and the inevitable hordes of tourists in search of a little Provençal authenticity and an occasional celebrity sighting.

The inhabitants of Saint-Tropez are called Tropéziens[1] (French pronunciation: ​[tʁɔ.pe'zjɛ̃]), and the town is familiarly called "St-Trop" (French pronunciation: ​[sɛ̃'tʁɔp]).

Contents

Notable history [edit]

Aerial view of Saint-Tropez, with marked Pampelonne beach in background, the citadel and the port in the foreground
Citadel of Saint-Tropez

The town’s name is derived from the early, semi-legendary martyr named Saint Torpes. The legend says the he was beheaded at Pisa during the reign of Nero, and that his body was placed in a rotten boat with a rooster and a dog. The body landed at the present-day location of the town.[2][3][4] In 599 BC, the Phocaeans invest Marseille and mooring sites of the coast. In 31 BC, the Romans invaded and at the Battle of Actium, were victorious. Their citizens built many opulent villas in the area, one example is known as the "Plane Trees". The first name given to the village was Heraclea-Caccaliera, and the mouth of the Gulf was named The Issambres.

Towards the end of the ninth century with the fall of the Roman Empire, pirates and privateers attacked and sacked the region for the next 100 years, and in the 11th century the village of La Garde-Freinet 15 km north of St. Tropez was founded. From 890–972, Saint-Tropez and its surroundings became an Arabic-Muslim colony dominated by the nearby Saracen settlement of Fraxinet.[5][6] In 940, Nasr ibn Ahmad was in control of Saint-Tropez.[6] In 961–963, Audibert son of Berenger, the pretender to the throne of Lombardy who was pursued by Otto I, hid at Saint-Tropez.[6] In 972, the Muslims of Saint-Tropez held the abbot of Cluny Maïeul until he was released for ransom.[6]

In 976, William I Count of Provence, lord of Grimaud, began attacking the Muslims and in 980 he built a tower at the current location of the tower Suffren. In 1079 and 1218, Papal Bulls mention the existence of a manor in Saint-Tropez.

From 1436, Count Rene I (the good King Rene) tried to repopulate the Provence. He created the Barony of Grimaud and appealed to Genoa Raphael Garezzio, a wealthy gentleman who sent a fleet of caravels carrying sixty Genoese families to the area. In return, Count Rene(called "Good king Rene") promised to exempt the citizens from taxation. On 14 February 1470, Jean de Cossa, the Baron of Grimaud and Grand Seneschal of Provence, reached an agreement with Raphael Garezzio that allowed Garezzio to build city walls and two large towers which are still standing. One tower is at the end of the large mole and the other is at the entrance to the "Ponche".

The city became a small Republic which its own fleet and army and was administered by two consuls and twelve elected councilors. In 1558 the office of Captain of City (Honorat Coste) was empowered to protect the city. The Captain lead a militia and mercenaries. They resisted attacks by the Turks, Spaniards, succor Frejus and Antibes, and assisted the Archbishop of Bordeaux to regain control of the Lerins Islands.

In 1577, the daughter of the Marquis Lord of Castellane Genevieve de Castilla married Jean-Baptiste de Suffren, marquis de Saint-Cannet, Baron de La Môle, and advisor to the Parliament of Provence. The lordship of Saint-Tropez became the prerogative of the family de Suffren.

In September 1615, Saint-Tropez was visited by an expedition led by the Japanese samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga who were on their way to Rome but were obligated by weather to stop in St. Tropez. This is believed to be the earliest instance of contact between the French and the Japanese.

The local nobleman were responsible for raising a standing army which drove away a fleet of Spanish galleons in 1637. Les Bravades des Espagnols is a local religious and military celebration commemorating this victory of the Tropezian militia over the Spanish.[7] Count Rene's promise in 1436 to not tax St. Tropez' citizens continued until 1672 when it was repealed by Louis XIV, who reasserted French control over the city.

The famous admiral, Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez (1729–1788), was the third son of the marquis de Saint-Tropez. During the 1920s Saint-Tropez attracted famous figures from the world of fashion, like Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. During World War II, on 15 August 1944, it was the site of a military landing called Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France. In the 1950s, Saint-Tropez became internationally renowned. It was the setting for films included And God Created Woman starring French actress Brigitte Bardot.

On May 1965 an Aérospatiale Super Frelon preproduction crashed in the Gulf, killing its pilot.

On 4 March 1970, the French submarine Eurydice which was home ported at Saint-Tropez disappeared into the Gulf[clarification needed] with 57 crew.[8]

Pink Floyd wrote a song called "San Tropez" which is named after the town. Saint-Tropez is also cited in David Gates' 1978 hit, "Took The Last Train" and Aerosmith's "Permanent Vacation". Rappers including Diddy, Jay-Z and 50 Cent refer to the city in some of their songs as a favorite vacation destination, usually by yacht. DJ Antoine wrote a song called "welcome to St. Tropez" which talks about going there and spending all the money they have.

Motto [edit]

Ad usque fidelis, Latin for "Faithful to the end". After the "dark age of plundering" in the French Riviera. on 14 February 1470, Raphaël de Garesio landed in Saint-Tropez with 22 men(simple peasants or sailors, they had all left the overcrowded Italian Riviera). They had to rebuild and repopulate the area, in exchange for this service, they were granted by representative of "good king", Jean de Cossa, Baron of Grimaud and Seneschal of Provence. a certain number of privileges, including some previously reserved exclusively for lords, such as a tax-exempt status and the right to bear arms. Their motto was Ad usque fidelis and they kept their promise indeed. About 10 years later, a great wall with towers stood watch protecting the new houses from sea and interior land attack. ~60 families formed the new community and on 19 July 1479 the new Home Act was signed, called: "The rebirth charter of Saint-Tropez".[9]

Port [edit]

The port was widely used during the 18th century; in 1789, the port was visited by 80 ships. Saint-Tropez’s shipyards built tartanes and three-masted ships that carried 1000 to 12200 barrels. The town was the site of various associated trades, including fishing, cork, wine, wood. The town had a school of hydrography. In 1860 the floret of the merchant marine, named "The Queen of the Angels" (a three-masted ship of 740 barrels), visited this port.

Its role as a commercial port declined, and it is now primarily a tourist spot besides being a base for many well known sail regattas. Here you also find a fast boat transportation with Les Bateaux Verts to Sainte Maxime on the other side of the bay and to Port Grimaud, Marines de Cogolin, Les Issambres and St-Aygulf.

Port of Saint-Tropez

Economy [edit]

The main economic resource of Saint-Tropez is tourism.

Saint-Tropez is well known for the Hôtel Byblos (and Les Caves du Roy), a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, whose inauguration with Brigitte Bardot and Gunter Sachs in 1967 was an international event.

Art and Saint-Tropez [edit]

Paul Signac, "Leaving the port of Saint-Tropez", 1901
Paintings Galerie Ivan

In history of modern art, Saint-Tropez plays a major role. Paul Signac discovers this light fulfilled place and inspires painters like Matisse, Pierre Bonnard or Albert Marquet to come to Saint-Tropez. Saint-Tropez emerges the painting of Pointillism and Fauvism. Also for the next generation of painters Saint-Tropez rests an interesting attraction. Bernard Buffet, David Hockney, Massimo Campigli, Donald Sultan were also living and working in Saint-Tropez. Today Stefan Szczesny continues this tradition.

Events [edit]

Each year, at the end of September, a regatta is held in the bay of Saint-Tropez (Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez). This is a draw for many yachts, some up to 50 metres in length. Many tourists come to the location for this event or as a stop on their trip to Cannes, Marseille or Nice.

Tropezian Tahiti beach in 2011

Beaches [edit]

Main article: Tropez beaches

Tropezien beaches are located along the coast in the Baie de Pampelonne, which lies south of Saint-Tropez and east of Ramatuelle. Pampelonne offers a collection of beaches along its five-kilometre shore. Each beach is around thirty metres wide with its own beach hut and private or public tanning area.

Many of the beaches offer windsurfing, sailing and canoeing equipment for rent, while others offer motorized water sports, such as power boats, jet bikes and water skiing, scuba diving.

Some of the private beaches are naturist beaches.

Toplessness and nudity [edit]

In June, 1962, Austrian-American fashion designer Rudi Gernreich introduced a topless swimsuit called the monokini that generated a great deal of controversy in the United States and internationally. During Gernrich's youth, Austria's citizens were advocates of exercising nude, a rejection of the over-civilized world.[10] The Vatican renounced the swimsuit, and the L'Osservatore Romano said the "industrial-erotic adventure" of the topless bathing suit "negates moral sense."[11] In Italy and Spain the church warned against the topless fashion.[12] At Saint-Tropez, the mayor ordered police to ban toplessness and to watch over the beach via helicopter[13]

During the 1960s, the monokini influenced the sexual revolution by emphasizing a woman's personal freedom of dress, even when her attire was provocative and exposed more skin than had been the norm during the more conservative 1950s.[13] Quickly renamed a "topless swimsuit",[13] the design was never successful in the United States, although the issue of allowing both genders equal exposure above the waist has been raised as a feminist issue from time to time.[14] In Saint Tropez, Tahiti beach, which had been popularised in the film And God Created Woman. with Brigitte Bardot, emerged as a clothing-optional destination.[15] The "clothing fights" between the gendarmerie and nudists become the main topic of a famous French comedy film series Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez ("The Policeman from Saint-Tropez") featuring Louis de Funès, but in the end the nudists won.[16] Topless sunbathing is now the norm for both men and women from Pampelonne beaches to yachts in the centre of Saint-Tropez port.[17] The Tahiti beach is now "clothing-optional", but nudists often head to private, nudist beaches, like that in Cap d'Agde.[18]

Transport [edit]

Getting to/from Saint-Tropez [edit]

By sea [edit]

The most famous, and probably luxury way to get there is by chartering a private yacht. But the 800 berths port, with two marinas also can host other boats, including ferries. In the summer season there is a ferry service between St-Tropez and Nice, Saint Maxime, Cannes, Saint Raphael.[19]

Some examples of actual ships near/in the Saint-Tropez port can be shown there.

By air [edit]

There is no airport located in Saint-Tropez. But there is an charter service to/from clubs, town, and Tropezian beaches by helicopters.[20]

The nearest airport is La Môle – Saint-Tropez Airport (IATA: LTT, ICAO: LFTZ) located in La Môle, 15 km (8 NM) southwest of Saint-Tropez.[21] Other main airports are:

Part of the near air traffic can be shown, for example there

By land [edit]

Rail [edit]

There is no rail station in Saint-Tropez. The nearest station is 'Saint-Raphaël-Valescure' located in Saint-Raphaël (~39 KM from Saint-Tropez) which offers also a boat service to Saint-Tropez.[24] Also there is a direct bus service to Saint-Tropez, and the rail station is connected with bus station.[25][26]

Bus [edit]

There is a bus station in Saint-Tropez called the French: Gare routière de Saint-Tropez located in Place Blanqui.[27]

It is operated by Var department transport division Varlib, which employs other transport companies for routes operating.

Taxi [edit]

There are also taxi services – even from Nice airport to Saint-Tropez. Of course due to long distances, and image of "wealthy Saint-Tropez" this is not a cheap option.[26]

Own vehicle [edit]

In season there is a lot of traffic problems on roads to Saint-Tropez,[28] so the fastest way is to travel by scooter or bike. There is no direct highway to the village. There are three main roads to Saint-Tropez:[29]

  • Via the A8 (E80) with the sign "Draguignan, Le Muy-Golfe de Saint-Tropez" – RD 25 Sainte-Maxime, 19 km -> on the former RN 98 – 12 km.
  • A57 with the sign "The Cannet des Maures" -> DR 558, 24 km Grimaud until then by the RD 61 – 9 km through the famous intersection of La Foux
  • Near the sea the former RN 98 connects to Toulon-La Valette-du-Var, Saint-Raphaël, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, DR 93, called "Beach Road" with destinations to Pampelonne, Ramatuelle and La Croix – Valmer.

There are some services showing the actual traffic on the main roads near the Saint-Tropez, for example in English: Via

Transport [edit]

Public transport in Saint-Tropez include mass transport service – mini buses, which remain as a shuttle service between town and Pampelonne beaches.[22]

Other ways of transport include: scooters, cars, bicycles and taxis.[30] Of course there are also helicopter services,[31] and boat trips.[32]

Because of traffic and short distances, walking is an obvious choice for trips around town and to the Tropezian beaches.[33]

Demography [edit]

Histogram
(Population movements in Saint-Tropez).[34][35][36][37]

Climate [edit]


Climate data: Saint-Tropez
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yearly
Maximum mean temperature (°C) 12,1 12,6 14,3 16,5 19,7 23,4 27 27,3 24,3 20,2 15,6 13 18,8
Minimum mean temperature (°C) 6,5 6,6 7,8 9,8 13 16,5 19,5 17,3 14,1 9,9 7,5 6 12,3
Average mean temperature (°C) 9,3 9,6 11 13,2 16,3 20 23,3 23,4 20,8 17,1 12,8 10,3 15,6
Sunshine (hours) 147,8 148,9 203,2 252,1 234,9 280,6 310,3 355,5 319,5 247,0 201,5 145,5 2748,1
Mean monthly precipitation (mm) 82,4 82,8 64,7 53,2 40,1 25,7 15,5 27,8 57,0 104,9 85,7 72,2 711,8
Source : Climatologie mensuelle à la station de Cap Camarat.[38]

Culture, education and sport [edit]

The town has health facilities, a cinema, a library, an outdoor center and a recreation center for youth.[39]

Education [edit]

École maternelle (kindergarten – preschool) – l’Escouleto, écoles primaires (primary schools – primary education): Louis Blanc and Les Lauriers, collège d’enseignement secondaire (secondary school, high school – secondary education) – Moulin Blanc.[40][41]

There are more than 1000 students distributed among kindergartens, primary schools and one high school.[42] In 2011 there were 275 students in high school, 51 people working there, from that 23 were teachers.[43]

Famous persons connected with Saint-Tropez [edit]

Probably the most famous should be the semi-legendary martyr which given an name to the town: Saint Torpes of Pisa. Hasekura Tsunenaga – the first probably Japanese in Europe, landed in Saint-Tropez as early as in 1615. Hero of the American Revolutionary War: admiral Pierre André de Suffren de Saint-Tropez is a person with place in history. Icon of modern Saint-Tropez is Brigitte Bardot, who started the clothes-optional revolution and still lives in Saint-Tropez area.[44] Louis de Funès who played the character of gendarme(police officer) in French comedy film series Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez made also the international recognisable image of Saint-Tropez as a calm town with modern jet-set holiday target.[45]

Gallery [edit]

  • Saint-Tropez "le vieux port" (the old port)

  • The beaches of Pampelone and Bonne Terrase

  • Cannons of the Citadel

  • Tour Jarlier

  • Saint-Tropez marina

  • Luxury boats

  • Harbour promenade with cafes

  • Old gendarmerie station; popular spot for photographs[46] (cf. Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez)

List of media connected with Saint-Tropez [edit]

Non-exhaustive filmography

Television series

  • Sous le soleil, broadcast in over 100 countries by the name "Saint-Tropez"

Literature

Painting

Port of Saint-Tropez
Paul Signac (1899)

Songs

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ gentilé sur le site habitants.fr Consulté le 18 May 2008.
  2. ^ http://www.nrj-saint-tropez.com/saint-tropez/st-tropez-135.html
  3. ^ San Torpete (Torpes, Torpè)
  4. ^ History of Saint-Tropez
  5. ^ P. Sénac, "Contribution a l'étude des incursions Musulmanes dans l'Occident Chrétien: la localisation du Ğabal al-Qilāl" Revue de l'Occident Musulman et de la Méditerranée, 31 (1981) 7–14
  6. ^ a b c d History of Islam and Muslims in France, pages 55–67.
  7. ^ Nicola Williams, Catherine Le Nevez, Provence and the Cote D'Azur (Lonely Planet, 2007), 343.
  8. ^ http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Tropez#Dates_importantes
  9. ^ http://www.francemonthly.com/n/0607/index.php
  10. ^ Bay, Cody (16 June 2010). "The Story Behind the Lines". Retrieved 22 January 2013. 
  11. ^ Smith, Liz (18 January 1965). "The Nudity Cult". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 14 January 2013. 
  12. ^ Thesander, Marianne (1997). The Feminine Ideal (first ed.). London: Reaktion Books. p. 187. ISBN 1861890044. 
  13. ^ a b c Smith Allyn, David (2001). Make Love, Not War Make Love, Not War: The Sexual Revolution: An Unfettered History. Taylor & Francis. pp. 23–29. ISBN 0-415-92942-3. 
  14. ^ Suzy Menkes, "Runways: Remembrance of Thongs Past", The New York Times, 1993-07-18
  15. ^ http://goeurope.about.com/od/nudebeaches/a/nude_beaches.htm
  16. ^ "Top 10: Eye Candy Beaches". Retrieved 21 February 2013. 
  17. ^ "Should you go topless – or not?". Retrieved 21 February 2013. 
  18. ^ Velton, Ross. "The Naked Truth About Cap d'Agde". Retrieved 21 February 2013. 
  19. ^ http://www.rivierarentalguide.com/explore_riviera/st+tropez/how+to+get+to+st+tropez.html
  20. ^ http://www.helicopter-saint-tropez.com/hubs/monaco.html
  21. ^ https://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/aip/enligne/PDF_AIPparSSection/VAC/AD/2/1113_AD-2.LFTZ.pdf
  22. ^ a b http://insurance.essentialtravel.co.uk/tg-europe/france/st-tropez-getting-around.asp
  23. ^ http://www.marseille.aeroport.fr/acces-et-parking/acces/en-train-ou-en-bus
  24. ^ http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187242-i667-k601847-Transportation_from_Nice_to_St_Tropez_and_back-St_Tropez_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html
  25. ^ http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187242-i667-k181762-Train_bus_from_nice_to_st_tropez-St_Tropez_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html
  26. ^ a b http://www.adventure-sports.co.uk/transfer.htm
  27. ^ http://www.geodruid.com/places/FR:france/saint-tropez:53769/bus-station:5
  28. ^ http://www.simonseeks.com/getting-around/europe/france/provence/french-riviera-cote-dazur/st-tropez__165948
  29. ^ http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Tropez#Acc.C3.A8s_-_transports
  30. ^ http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/sttropez/factsheet
  31. ^ http://www.helicopter-saint-tropez.com/pages/english/st-tropez-gb.html
  32. ^ http://www.france4families.com/CotedAzur/RegionsCotedAzurTownsStTropez.htm
  33. ^ http://www.satsig.net/walking-france/walking-south-of-france.htm
  34. ^ Notices communales avec tous les recensements
  35. ^ Population 2006 sur le site de l'Insee. Consulté le 01/01/2010.
  36. ^ Évolution démographique de 1968 à 2007 sur le site de l'Insee. Consulté le 25/07/2010.
  37. ^ Population municipale 2008 sur le site de l'Insee. Consulté le 02/01/2011.
  38. ^ Archives climatologiques mensuelles – Cap Camarat (1961-1990)
  39. ^ http://www.saint-tropez.fr/MaMairie/Pr%C3%A9sentationdesservicesmunicipaux/tabid/163/Default.aspx
  40. ^ http://www.ac-nice.fr/college-moulinblanc/
  41. ^ http://www.saint-tropez.fr/MaMairie/Ecoles/Administrationet%C3%A9tablissementsscolaires/Listedes%C3%A9tablissementssurlacommune/tabid/137/Default.aspx
  42. ^ http://www.saint-tropez.fr/MaMairie/Ecoles/tabid/123/Default.aspx
  43. ^ http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.ac-nice.fr/college-moulinblanc/articles.php%3Flng%3Dfr%26pg%3D23&usg=ALkJrhgmt19NOAhOUDdrEZ6JCMEqnINfcQ
  44. ^ http://www.nndb.com/people/815/000023746/
  45. ^ http://www.travelgrove.com/destinations/France-Saint-tropez-reviews-664740/My-dream-vacation-in-Saint-Tropez-80745.html
  46. ^ http://www.frenchfriends.info/french-riviera/saint-tropez
  47. ^ http://defunes.org
  48. ^ http://www.autourdelouisdefunes.fr/lieuxdetournages.htm

External links [edit]

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