This week we are going to delve into the department of Var and discover two villages in this Provence, the most beautiful region in the world, or so Raimu might have said. These are two villages in the Dracénie, close enough to each other to visit at the same time.
It will also be an opportunity to go past vineyards and olive groves, fields whose colors resemble an impressionist painting. Le Muy: the origin of the name might come from ‘muid’, which in the old regime was a unit of capacity that varied according to the Provinces. When François I° made the French language mandatory, the term became French as Muy.
The coat of arms is a white cross on a green background symbolizing the city’s affiliation with the bishop of Fréjus and the Saint Cassien Abbey of Marseille. The elephant symbolizes strength and tenacity. The cradle of the commune could be the San Luen site, where inhabitants took refuge in a fortress overlooking the Argens.
The first church, Our Lady of Lauze, dated from the 11th century, was demolished in 1532 to make way for Saint Joseph. The new place of worship was ravaged by a fire in 1707. Many artworks were lost or damaged. A painting of Saint Sebastian from 1646, a statue of Saint Joachim from 1672 from the former chapel of the White Penitents, and two ex-votos in the chapel of Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena comprise the treasures of Saint Joseph. You must be in Le Muy during the Angelus, you will hear a magnificent concert of bells.
We will also mention: Our Lady of the Roquette and the chapel of Saint Pons. The Our Lady Tower, or Charles V’s from the 14th century, had a tragic historical episode. The Spanish poet Garcilaso de la Vega was killed in front of it on September 23, 1536. Despite his promise, Charles V had the defenders of the latter hanged. Nearby is the Liberation Museum, which recalls August 15, 1944, when Provence was liberated from the Nazis. The main activity of this village revolved around the forest with its 4800 hectares. Moreover, the numerous canals, irrigated by the Arturby, ensure the irrigation of the lands.
Today, the vineyards and olive trees are the economic drivers of Le Muy. La Motte: you don’t discover this small village, it reveals itself to you. Its main street, a small square shaded by plane trees, and the town hall dates from 1838; it is the size of a postage stamp and proudly announces that La Motte was the first village liberated by parachutists at 3 o’clock in the morning on August 15, 1944. You take a steep alleyway leading you to its summit. Its 1847 fountain, which became the Republic’s after February 1848, the clock from 1834-1835 dominating the premises offers a view over the countryside.
Its church, Saint Victor the Young, patron of the Marseille abbey, has its origins in the mid-11th century. It was enlarged twice, in 1787 and 1872. Two bells animate the canonical hours: one from 1674 and Saint Quinis from 1832. A 17th-century altarpiece and a reliquary of Saint Quinis are its main riches. You will not come to La Motte without visiting the communal mill where Robert Pizay awaits you, surrounded by his figurines and stories that smell of thyme and lavender.
You will get acquainted with the Fifinette; you will know why the clock has neither numbers nor hands. You, but Robert will explain everything, he will tell you the importance of the tobacco bar, the vital center of villages, and remember that you are in Provence where the light is transparent, the land of bravados and aromas, these will be some keys to better understanding this wonderful storyteller you leave with sadness.
His mill is a treasure cave, and to thank you for your visit, Robert will offer you writings, true stories of colorful characters. Whether in the heart of the scorching summer, in autumn with nature ablaze, in winter with a landscape frozen by the cold, or in spring with this return to life, Provence will always be a welcoming land where visitors are welcomed.
