This village located at the border of the Alpes Maritimes and Var departments, on the road from Grasse to Draguignan, at the confluence of the Frayรจre and the Siagne, is a village where the flora is shared between oaks and mimosa.
The origin of Auribeau sur Siagne dates back to the 12th century; in 1158, Pope Adrian IV confirmed the possession of the Auribeau fief to the bishop of Antibes, granting him the benefits of: Notre Dame de Valcluse, Pรฉgomas, and Mouans.
In 1242, Auribeau and its castle are mentioned in a cartulary. After the Black Death epidemic of 1350, the whole region was deserted. It wasn’t until the settlement act by Monseigneur Grimaldi, abbot of Lรฉrins in 1497, that the area began to be repopulated.
People from Liguria, and particularly from Albenga, brought life back to this village. The 18th-century Saint Anthony church in neo-Roman style with its square bell tower, and the 17th-century sanctuary of Notre Dame de Valcluse, a pilgrimage site and hermitage of Saint Aygulf, make up the religious heritage of Auribeau sur Siagne.
The sanctuary is located on the road from Cannes to Grasse, where many ex-votos can be found and a miraculous virgin has been attested since the 12th century. Although Auribeau sur Siagne was deserted for a century and a half due to epidemics and Saracen raids, the stones preserve the memory of time.
Wandering, as a drifter, a walker in the alleys of this village, one can admire houses from the 13th century, witnesses to the dramas, epidemics, and raids. The Soubran gate provided access to the fortified village. Once on the church square, the walker will be rewarded with a breathtaking panorama over the Grasse region.
At the beginning of spring, when nature awakens from its long winter lethargy, the mimosas are in bloom, and one can admire the brilliant sunshine on the Tanneron hills.
The village’s motto is surely inspired by this spectacle of nature: “Beauty is not what is beautiful, but what pleases is beautiful.” The village is dedicated to Saint Anthony, and its coat of arms dating back to 1696 pays homage to this saint.
ThierryT Jan
