Town description
Lying between the Mediterranean sea and Verdon Gorges, Les Arcs sur Argens is surrounded by vineyards. Le Parage medieval town is located on a hillside, in the heart of the plain of the Argens river.
The name « Parage », from the Occitan « paratge » meaning nobility, once referred to the village’s noble quarter.
Four gates surround the town: Porte du Réal, Porte Milante, Porte de l’Horloge and Porte Haute.
It was in the 12th century that the castle, « la Tour Sarrasine », dominating the town from the top of its 19-metre tower, was erected. The castle keep was built a few years later.
Le Parage is full of little treasures, such as :
La Chapelle Saint-Pierre-du-Parage, a former medieval church dedicated to Notre Dame, now an exhibition hall,
Tour de l’Horloge, a 14th-century flanking tower that became a campanile in the 17th century,
The wrought-iron fountain by Miklos Dallos,
Fountain of Time sundial,
Carved doors and stones.
The various squares (Place du Micocoulier, Place du Père Clinchard) and alleyways take us back in time. The « miracle of the roses » is said to have taken place in front of the Porte du Château…
Near the Porte Haute, you’ll find the Maison de l’Histoire des Arcs, retracing several key events of the Middle Ages and the French Revolution (open from July 1 to August 31).
