Flassans-Sur-Issole: Art, History and Landscape

Discover Flassans-sur-Issole through its art, architectural history and landscape. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in the village, these themes can provide a practical framework for planning your trip: would you like to see contemporary art in a garden setting, learn about historic religious buildings or go on a walk with historical connections? The following sites and buildings offer different points of interest.

Art among gardens, vineyards and oak groves

On the grounds of the Jardins de la commanderie de Peyrassol, around sixty contemporary artworks can be seen along a walking route through the gardens, vineyards and an oak grove. The collection and its surroundings form part of the same walk: the works are situated along a path that passes through several types of landscape. This lets you combine art with a stroll, rather than planning your visit solely as a trip to a single exhibition. It offers a distinct focus for choosing what to see on your trip, alongside the village’s historic buildings and chapels.

Religious buildings from different centuries

The Chapelle Saint-Roch was built following a vow made by the community during the 1722 plague. Work on the parish church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption was completed in 1873. The two dates refer to different events: the reason for building the chapel is recorded, while the date for the parish church marks the completion of the work. The remains of the Chapelle Saint-André have survived. It was probably the village’s former parish church and was rebuilt at its original site in the 11th century. Its former role as a parish church is considered probable; the rebuilding is dated to the 11th century. Together, these buildings illustrate different historical periods, from the medieval rebuilding through the time of the plague to the completion of work on the parish church in the 19th century.

Traces of craftsmanship and earlier uses

In the village centre, on the banks of the Issole next to a shady square, you will find a restored 17th-century olive mill and a humped-back bridge. The mill and bridge give the riverbank a distinctive historical character: a building used for producing olive oil and a crossing over the water stand side by side. The Cellier Saint-Bernard, a winegrowers’ cooperative, is also part of the village’s architectural history. The year 1912 is marked on the building; it was extended in 1925. The two dates distinguish its construction from a later structural alteration.

The Château des Pontevès in Vieux-Flassans includes a partly underground cistern, the remains of a keep, an old oven, agricultural terraces and a former dovecote. A cistern was used to store water; a keep is a fortified tower. Together with the oven, terraces and dovecote, these features reflect a range of architectural functions and uses. The Pont Romain adds a specific date to the architectural history: it was built in 1533.

The Issole and a historic walking route

The Issole flows through Flassans-sur-Issole for 21 kilometres. The olive mill and humped-back bridge stand on the riverbank in the village centre, bringing the riverside landscape and architectural history together at a clearly identified spot. The “La voie romaine” walking route in Flassans-sur-Issole offers another link between landscape and history. Its name refers to the Via Aurélia, which connected Rome and Arles. This connection gives the walk a historical context and adds a theme from the history of a long-distance route to the religious buildings and architecture of the village centre. Art, architectural history and landscape thus offer different perspectives for planning a trip to Flassans-sur-Issole.

Discover more destinations: Brue-Auriac, Cap Bénat, Artignosc-Sur-Verdon, Meounes-Les-Montrieux, Pourcieux, Salernes, Cavalaire-Sur-Mer, Comps-Sur-Artuby

For the regional travel overview: Var.