Vérignon
Encyclopedia
Vérignon is a commune
in the Var
department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
region
in southeastern France
.
Plain, at the heart of a magnificent forest of oak
s which is one of the most beautiful forests in Provence. 15 square kilometres of the commune were requisitioned for the Canjuers military camp in 1970.
is supposed to be derived from the Latin Campus Julii (the field of Julius), preserving a folk-memory of Julius Caesar
's army passing across it during the Gallic Wars
. On a mountain range between Aups and Vérignon is an oppidum
of the Verrucini. In the Roman era, the main road that linked up Fréjus
to Riez
passed through Vérignon, and four milestones have been discovered.
The plain is also an important findspot for prehistoric fossils, with most of those found being conserved fossils in the château
at Vérignon, not open to the public. According to Raoul Bérenguier, the Blacas
seigneurs
of Aups
installed themselves in Vérignon around the year 1000 and constructed their castle on a rocky outcrop in the town. It had an encircling wall, rectangular living quarters in the north corner, a private chapel of the Assumption for the Blacas (with their family vault under its altar), and a barbican
round its south gate. However, this castle proved too constricted, uncomfortable and small, and was abandoned at the start of the 18th century, with the Blacas building a new, unfortified château, which remained in their hands until 1947. It is rectangular in plan, with two levels of overhanging elevations, an attic-storey, and corner towers. Two short wings project out from and frame the main building. The castle stands up in the middle of a magnificent park.
Up to the nineteenth century, the town had 120 inhabitants.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Var
Var (département)
The Var is a French department in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in Provence, in southeast France. It takes its name from the river Var, which used to flow along its eastern boundary, but the boundary was moved in 1860...
department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in southeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Géography
The town is situated at the foot of the Great CanjuersCanjuers
Canjuers is a calcareous plateau and a military camp in Provence in southeastern France.-Geography:Situated in the département of the Var in the Prealps of Castellane, on the south of the Verdon Gorge and to the north of Draguignan....
Plain, at the heart of a magnificent forest of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s which is one of the most beautiful forests in Provence. 15 square kilometres of the commune were requisitioned for the Canjuers military camp in 1970.
History
CanjuersCanjuers
Canjuers is a calcareous plateau and a military camp in Provence in southeastern France.-Geography:Situated in the département of the Var in the Prealps of Castellane, on the south of the Verdon Gorge and to the north of Draguignan....
is supposed to be derived from the Latin Campus Julii (the field of Julius), preserving a folk-memory of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
's army passing across it during the Gallic Wars
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes. They lasted from 58 BC to 51 BC. The Gallic Wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the...
. On a mountain range between Aups and Vérignon is an oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
of the Verrucini. In the Roman era, the main road that linked up Fréjus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
to Riez
Riez
Riez is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Geography:The densely-built village sits where two small rivers join—the Auvestre and the Colostre—in a glacially-widened valley.-Population:-Economy:...
passed through Vérignon, and four milestones have been discovered.
The plain is also an important findspot for prehistoric fossils, with most of those found being conserved fossils in the château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
at Vérignon, not open to the public. According to Raoul Bérenguier, the Blacas
Blacas
-Blacas d'Aulps family:Blacas is the name of two old French houses which successively owned the Lordship of Aups castle in Provence ....
seigneurs
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
of Aups
Aups
Aups is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:...
installed themselves in Vérignon around the year 1000 and constructed their castle on a rocky outcrop in the town. It had an encircling wall, rectangular living quarters in the north corner, a private chapel of the Assumption for the Blacas (with their family vault under its altar), and a barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
round its south gate. However, this castle proved too constricted, uncomfortable and small, and was abandoned at the start of the 18th century, with the Blacas building a new, unfortified château, which remained in their hands until 1947. It is rectangular in plan, with two levels of overhanging elevations, an attic-storey, and corner towers. Two short wings project out from and frame the main building. The castle stands up in the middle of a magnificent park.
Up to the nineteenth century, the town had 120 inhabitants.
Churches
The Chapel of Notre-Dame de Liesse, at 991 m above sea level, is an oratory found between Aups and Vérignon. A lady from the Blacas family came here to await the arrival of her son back from the Crusades and vowed to construct a chapel as soon as he should return safely. He did return, and it was built as a witness of the "liesse" of the family. At 1.066 km altitude on the same mountain range is the Chapel Saint Priest, built in 1098.Personalities
One scion of the Blacas d'Aulps family lived at Vérignon:- Pierre d'Aulps, first of the line.
- Casimir Blacas d'Aulps (1771–1839), counsellor to Louis XVIII
- Marie Thérèse Paule de Blacas d'Aulps (Vérignon 1864 - Aups 1959)