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Brignoles is a large market town, known for its peaches, honey, olives and olive oil. The town, however, isn't an attractive place and it isn't very clean. There are plenty of shops, but there's not really much to attract visitors. The old moss-covered fountain is pretty, but the Place Caramy where it's located is just the wedge between a parking lot and the main road.
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Nearby: |
Aix-en-Provence 57 km |
Barjols 24 km |
Carcès 19 km |
Celle 2 km |
Cotignac 22 km |
Frejus 65 km |
Garde-Freinet 46 km |
Gonfaron 23 km |
Hyeres 50 km |
MiniFrance 5 km |
Nice 120 km |
20 km |
Signes 32 km |
21 km |
Toulon 50 km |
Turtle Village 25 km |
Val 7 km |
Below: |
Abbaye de la Celle |
Cyber Cafe |
History |
O.T. |
Dates |
Wine |
Transportation |
Hiking |
Readers' Comments |
Lodging Hotels |
From the second half of the 19th century until the 1960's Brignoles was a mining center, with aluminium and bauxite mines, and the old mines are scattered all over this region. Since then, the area has evolved towards wine, agriculture and light industry. Also in the past, the marble quarries at Candelon were renowned; you can still see the quarries: about 3 km southwest, on the D554, turn right across the tracks just past Le Parradou. Brignoles plums were also famous throughout the kingdom, but since the trees were all destroyed in the 16th century, "Brignoles Plums" have come from Digne-les-Bains.
The Old Town
The old quarters of the town date from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, and contains some ancient sites. The Eglise Saint-Sauveur has a 12th-c Romanesque doorway [photo-5]. The 13th-c Chateau des Comptes de Provence contains an interesting regional museum. The Place des Comptes de Provence was renovated in 2001. At the time this was unfortunately the only clean place in the old town, the streets of which were even dirtier than the main part of town. For another opinion, see Readers' Comments (below).
Other ancient sites in the old town are the 16th-c Hotel d'Epernon, 16th-c Hospice St-Jean, 17th-c Hotel de Ville and the Hotel de Clavier (13th-18th c).
Le Musée du Pays Brignolais (Musée Palais des Comtes de Provence)
This regional museum is loacated in the 12th-c Chateau of the Counts of Provence. The museum's chief exhibit is the Bayole tombstone, from the end of the 2nd century. The museum is nicely cluttered and interesting inside. Entry only 20 F, no photography allowed.
About 1 km south of town is a large, very Baroque looking Chapel Notre-Dame d'Espérance. Five km east of town the Parc MiniFrance is an attraction mainly for the kiddies.
Abbaye de la Celle
Located 2 km southwest of town, this was originally a 13th-century Benedictine convent. The Prioress's house is 17th century and has been converted into a hotel. The Romanesque abbey church is now the local parish church (it has a 15th-c crucifixion). The cloisters, chapter-house and refectory can be visited.
Cyber Café
Virtu@l.m@ni@
Tel: 0498 050 345
Rates: 25 F 1st hour, 20 F/hr suppliment; 15 F 1/2hr; 10 F 1/4hr
History
Name
First record, 558 Terminus Broniolacensis, in the Childebert charter; 10th-c Broniola; beginning of 12th c Brinonia. The name is thought to be derived from the Latin brinonia, plum, since plums have been grown here since Roman times.
Celto-Ligurian:
Three dolmens are located at Les Adrets, in the forested hills just to the north of the autoroute, about 2-3 km from the town center.
Gallo-Roman:
The Via Aurelia passed through Brignoles (probably along the current route of the N7 highway), and it was the junction of a north-south Roman road. Important Roman traces found here include villas and some of the contents. The 2nd-3rd century "La Gayole" tomb is on display at the local museum.
Medieval:
Brinonia was the summer residence of the Counts of Provence from the 12th century. In the 16th century (1536) the town was beseiged and then occupied by the troups of Charles-Quint; he actually renamed the town Nicopolis, but that obviously didn't stick.
Other tribulations were vistited on the town by barbarian invasions, pillaging by mercenaries and massacring the Brignolais Protestants by the Catholic Lord of Carcès. By the time of the Wars of Religion there weren't many problems in Brignoles [probably because there was no longer much opposition], except for the 180,000 plum trees that were destroyed.
Office de Tourisme
Place des Augustins
Tel: 0494 690 178
Email: otsi.brignoles@wanadoo.fr
Also: Office Intercommunal de Tourisme de la Provence Verte, Brignoles
Tel: 0494 720 421; 0494 590 131 (reservations); Fax: 0494 720 422
Dates
Every Wed - Marché
Every Sat - Marché Floral, place du 8 mai; Artisanal, square St Louis
2nd Sun - Brocante; Promenade Caramy (big)
Wine
Brignoles is considered the center of the Cote de Provence wines. The town has an annual wine fair (Foire de Brignoles) the first half of every April. You can get the date and more information directly from their web "http://www.foire-de-brignoles.com.fr/".
Transportation
Bus The Cars Phocéens bus company provides bus service between Nice and Aix-en-Provence. Two buses a day go via the Route Nationale and stop at Cros de Cagnes, Antibes, Golfe Juan, St. Raphael, Fréjus, Le Muy, Vidauban, Le Luc, Flassans, Brignoles, Tourves, St Maximin.
Hiking
- Maps:
- IGN (1/25,000) #3444 OT "Brignoles Le Luc"
- Didier Richard (1/50,000) #24 "Collines Provençales"
There's actually some pretty fair hiking not too far from town, with trails shown on the Didier-Richard map #24.
About 3 km southwest of town, near the old marble quarry at Candelon, a couple of trails go further south and southwest into the hills, towards Garéoult and la Roquebrussanne. Some of these hills are quite rugged and steep (far different from the plains where Brignoles sits), but the distances aren't too great.
One of the several possibilities will take you over Le Lube mountains (830 m) half way between Brignoles and la Roquebrussanne. There's a nice panoramic view from the top, and you can see the red slashes of the old bauxite mines amidst the trees. It's a 2-hour hike out and back to the peak.
The western-most trail joins with the GR99 about 5 km west of the quarry, and the GR99 will take you into the hills towards Signes.
Just north of town, a marked trail will take you past the autoroute to the dolmen. This trail then follows the burried gas pipeline straight west about 8km to join the GR99 4-km south of Bras.
Reader's Comments
Comments contributed by David Langford, Eire, 7 March 2007
Hi. I totally disagree with your comments on Brignoles. We have stayed there over the last two years and are going back this year because we have found it central, accessable, easy to reach other places with short drives, very CLEAN and tidy and really interesting for those who bother to find out and look. Eating out at night is exellent and reasonably priced, I do think that whoever wrote your report was having a bad day.
[ Editor:
In fact, ALL Beyond reports are written by Beyond (Russ) and based on personal observation, but including personal opinion and mood.]
Lodging - Hotels
• Camping municipal, route de Nice, Tel: 0494 69 20 10
• Hotel-restaurant Le Candelon, rte de Marseille; tél 0494 69 04 60
• Hotel-restaurant du Chateau de Brignoles (Logis de France); Tel: 0494 69 06
• Hotel Formule 1, chemin du Raton; Tel: 0494 69 45 05
• Hotel-restaurant du Golf de Barbaroux, rte de Cabasse; Tel: 0494 69 63 69
88; Fax: 0494 59 26 85
• Hotel-restaurant Ibis, chemin des Adrets; Tel: 0494 69 19 29; Fax: 0494 69 19 90
• Hotel-restaurant des Oliviers, 16 rue Ste-Ursule; Tel: 0494 69 10 64
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Photo gallery of 10 photos for Brignoles
