CIPIÈRES
Located in the Loup Valley, dominated by the Cheiron mountain range, Cipières was, with the cultivation of wheat, chickpeas, and lentils, the granary of Grasse.
This cultivation was mainly done on terraces. Today, beekeeping and lavender plantations are the main agricultural activities. The name Cipières comes from a Roman milestone: Cippus; the village must certainly have been a stopover on a Roman road ascending the Loup Valley.
In the 11th century, documents mention the “domun” or domain of Cipeiras. In 1158, the “Ecclésia de Ciperis” is mentioned, and in 1294, the “castrum de Cipiéra.” The fief belonged successively to the House of Grasse, the Agoult family, and in 1510, the Count of Tende René de Savoie acquired Cipières.
A little over a century later, in 1646, Bouthilliers de Chavigny became the lord of Cipières. The fief was raised to a marquisate. The last owner was the Marquis de Panisse-Passis de Villeneuve Loubet. The castle was sold to private individuals in 1851.
While there were 1033 inhabitants in 1765, today there are just over 200. The many “bories,” a hundred scattered across the municipal territory, give Cipières a touch of western Provence. The alleys, old houses, and door lintels are all chapters of the history and past of this village.
The Church of Saint-Mayol is mentioned as early as the 12th century and was rebuilt in 1527. It contains a relic, the arm of Saint Mayol. This saint was a Benedictine monk preaching the Crusades. The Chapel of Saint-Claude, completed between 1629 and 1646, houses a copy of a Rubens painting: a “Descent from the Cross.”
The motto of Cipières: “Sameno Culiras: He who sows will reap,” aptly fits this town where the inhabitants have always struggled to make the barren land fruitful.
