The small town of Les Arcs is located in the valley of the Argens in the Var. In the south, it is bordered by the Massif des Maures while it is separated from Draguignan by ten km. Much of the town has retained its medieval style, so it's a time travel which is offered to you when you walk in the heart of Les Arcs.

HISTORY

The first mention to the village of Les Arcs dates back in the eleventh century. First Archos then Castrum Arcubus (Château des Arcs), the village took the name of Les Arcs when the Villeneuve family took possession from the twelfth to the seventeenth century.
The castle and the Notre Dame church were then built . In 1612, under the request of Louis XIII, Les Arcs became a marquisate. Then, the bell tower of the Clock Tower, next to the castle, was built.

Unfortunately the castle was destroyed in the years following the French Revolution but the Clock Tower was retained by the secretary of that time (Victor Grand).

TO SEE

With its medieval past, Les Arcs is a town rich in heritage. Through its streets, as soon as you walk through the Clock Tower, you back in time. Then you can see the Tour du Parage (name of the medieval quarter) built in the XIVth century, the ruins of the ancient castle and the Chapel St Pierre (formerly Eglise Notre-Dame) which dates from the twelfth century.

While visiting les Arcs, be sure to visit the chapel of Sainte Roseline which is 4 km away from the village, in the place where, in the past, used to be the abbey of La Celle-Roubaud.
Inside the chapel, lays the mummy of Sainte Roseline, in a shrine of crystal, a gilded wooden altarpiece representing the Nativity performed by the Brea school and an altarpiece of the seventeenth century surrounding a scene of Descent from the Cross. Contemporary art pieces are also exhibited thanks to the Fondation Maeght : an elf and a bas-relief from Giacometti, stained glass windows made by Ubac and Bazaine and a beautiful mosaic by Marc Chagall (the "Meal of the Angels").

ACCESS

Les Arcs is a town situated in the department of Var, 10 km from Draguignan and 25km from Fréjus.
It is reached via the A8 motorway exiting at Le Muy then taking RN7 to Les Arcs.

The town is served by rail and has a TGV station because it is on the line that connects Marseille to Italy.