At an altitude of 637 metres in the Haut-Var, south of the Verdon lakes and gorges, Tourtour brings together tangible evidence of the village’s history and several panoramic viewpoints. Eight village fountains, the waterwheel of the old olive mill, which is still in operation, and buildings from different centuries offer a variety of ways to explore the village. If you are planning a stay, you can focus on architecture and local history or on the surrounding scenery. Tourtour’s location places it in the Haut-Var; its viewpoints look out towards regional mountain ranges and as far as the coast.
Church, Towers and Historic Architectural Features
Saint-Denis Church is believed to date from the late 10th century. Its single-nave hall has a Romanesque barrel vault. “Single-nave” describes a church space without side aisles; a barrel vault is a curved, arch-shaped ceiling running lengthwise. These are two distinct features: the layout of the space and the design of the ceiling. The church’s historical dating is explicitly presented as an attribution.
The Tour de Grimaldi, also known as the Tour de Grimaud, is a Saracen-style tower dating from the 12th or 13th century. The Chapel of the Holy Trinity lies within Tourtour’s 17th-century fortifications. The clock tower dates from the 19th century and is topped by a campanile. Together, these buildings represent different historical periods: from the medieval tower to the later fortifications and the 19th-century clock tower. The names Tour de Grimaldi and Tour de Grimaud refer to the same tower.
Museum, Fountains and History of Use
The “Victor Zaneboni” Fossil Museum is a public museum run by the municipality of Tourtour. Other features of the village include eight village fountains and the waterwheel of the old olive mill, which is still in operation. At the Le Lavoir washhouse, architectural and usage history come together: it was built in 1778 and used by the village women until the 1960s. Thus, a waterwheel still in operation and the historic use of the washhouse represent different periods.
The fountains, mill and washhouse add another dimension to the village’s history alongside its churches, chapel and towers. This means that an interest in Tourtour’s history need not be limited to architectural styles. Water installations, their number and their respective uses also offer concrete points of reference for distinguishing the village’s features.
Panoramic Views and Circular Routes
The viewpoints offer different perspectives: from the Tour de Grimaldi, the panorama stretches across the regional mountain ranges from Sainte-Victoire to the Estérel. At Saint-Denis Church, an orientation table provides a view extending to the coast. The garden of Château Raphélis also offers a panoramic view. Together, these include a vista of named mountain ranges, a coastal panorama and another viewpoint in the garden.
The departmental circular route “Terres, truffes et cascades” passes the entrance to Tourtour; the route runs for 900 metres along roads. The Tourtour tourist office is on the departmental circular route “Les balcons du Haut-Var”. The two route names are associated with different local features: for “Terres, truffes et cascades”, the relevant details are its route past the village entrance and its road section; for “Les balcons du Haut-Var”, it is the tourist office.
Discover more destinations: La Celle, Varages, Ponteves, Le Lavandou, Bargemon, Saint-Cyr-Sur-Mer, La Seyne-Sur-Mer, Regusse
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