La Motte (VAr)

La Motte ( Mota in Of Provence traditional and Moutto according to the Standard mistralienne) is a common French located in the department of the Var and the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure.

Geography

Bordered by the river of the Endre in the East, the Mound is located at 10 km in the south-east of Draguignan, at 17 km in the west of Fréjus and at 4 km in the north of the highway. One can admire since the Golf of Saint-Endréol, a splendid cutting of red rocks and the Rocher of Roquebrune.
A great quantity and variety of wood and coppices make it possible to go for pleasant walks marked out starting from the village: solid mass of Peyblou, the Plate, Garassins.

Economy

The plain of the Mound knew to safeguard its agricultural vocation and wine, with 11 fields and an important cooperative wine cave.

History

The life with the Mound was forged with the foot of the Tower of the Clock, starting from these stones of tuff with which the old village was built.

At the origin, of 1030 with 1039, the borough appeared under the name of " Motta-Lamberti" , in a chartre of XIe and XIIe S.

Priory of " Motta" (into of Provence " Moutto") was yielded by the chapter of Saint-Victor to the abbot Blance, prior of That, in thanks of another cession.
The grounds of the Mound were pledged in 1201 with those the Trans one, in favor of Villeneuve, and included in the dependences of the marquisat set up in 1505.
A little later, the commune obtained its autonomy, and increased its territory the shortly after the French revolution, by the acquisition of the major part of the grounds of Esclans.

La Motte, 1st released village of Provence

More close to us, the last page of history registered in the walls of the Mound goes back to the Débarquement in Provence, in August 1944, when the parachuting of the airborne troops, the August 15th with 2:30 of the morning, with the hamlet of Mitan, where was to settle the American Staff, made Mound the first released village of Provence.

Tourist monuments and Places

The old village

The old village and its picturesque charm through its old decorated lanes of flowers and arcades, the place of the Clock dominating the village, small squares shaded and the fountains which give freshness to the hottest hours of the summer.

The Saint-Victor Church

At the origin in XIe S. was built a priory dedicated to Saint-Victor because of his fastening to the large Abbey of Marseilles. A statue out of wooden, beginning XIXe S., of this saint is in the great niche located on the right in the principal nave. This oldest part of the church is consisted the decreased side aisle of the enlarging of 20 sides.

This enlarging decided in 1777 and completed in 1787 comprised widening with the principal nave with advance of the building of 20 sides. It was thus created in the wall of the first nave of the openings with construction of the pillars. A large entry was carried out in the principal nave with a door in drowning doubled of wood of pine.

A second enlarging was carried out in 1872 with the realization of the chorus and the sacristy. Consolidation work of the roof and vault are carried out in 1978 (Ent. SORDELLO) and the interior restoration are carried out in 1988 by Rene FAURET.

Under the impulse of Father LACHAL, the stained glasses are offered by the community starting from 1987.

Inside the church

In the side aisle :

Furnace bridge of Quinis Saint with retable out of wooden gilded of XVIIème S. and fabric, restored by the Commune.

At the end of the nave, the baptismal font a painting of the baptism of Christ (XIXème S.).

In the principal nave :

1. Under the chorus:

Fabric of Feraud (XVIIIème S.) Deposition

major Furnace bridge out of marble (fine XIXème S.)

2. In the niche in the middle of the nave:

Bust reliquary of Saint Faustin (XVIIIème S.)

Statue wood gilded of Saint Romain (beginning XIXème S.)

Statue wood of Saint Victor (beginning XIXème S.)

the Bell-tower , carried out at the same time as the enlarging of 1787, comprises 2 bells:

One carries the inscriptions: “is of the place of Moutte 1674”

the other carries the date of 1831 and “preserved dominates me quoniam speravi anno salutis 1831 sit nomen domini benedictum” BAUDOIN - Founder in Marseilles.

the Communal Mill with the workshop of the sculptor imagier, Robert Pizay.
the Museum of the History and the Traditions Mottoises , located in the Communal Mill.

Twinnings

Since 1983, the commune is twinned in the medieval city of Saint-Ursanne: capital of Closed of Doubs (the Jura Swiss).

External bonds

Official site of the commune

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