Located in Haute-Var (83) near Fayence, Seillans is only 30 kms (18 miles) from the popular town of Grasse, Draguignan and Saint-Raphael on the Côte d’Azur coast.
Getting to Seillans
It is an easy trip from Nice. Take the A8 motorway towards Aix-en-Provence and turn at exit 39 (Les Adrets de l’Esterel). Cross Lac de Saint-Cassien on the D37. Turn left onto the D562 and continue until you see a sign for Fayence on the right. The D19 takes you past Tourrettes to Seillans.
Why visit Seillans?
Seillans, officially designated as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in France” ( Plus Beaux Villages de France ) is typical of the region known for its “perched” villages. It can get its fair share of tourists in the summer months, but there is enough genuine life in the local village to keep Seillans busy year-round, making it as pleasant in the off-season as July and August.
Due to the narrow streets (these towns were built for horses and donkeys not cars), park just outside the town and continue on foot. Start at the local tourist office at the top of town for a map and information. The helpful staff speak English; They can also organize guided tours which, if you have the time, are well worth it. Tours are throughout the year on Thursdays from 10 am to 11 am and in July and August also on Tuesdays from 5.15 pm to 6.15 pm
If you are at the tourist office in the afternoon, you can see the works of two of the most famous residents of Seillans, Max Ernst (1891-1976), one of the pioneers of Dada and Surrealism, and Dorothea Tanning (1910-2012 ), the American painter, printmaker, sculptor and writer, as well as works by another famous local artist, Stan Appenzeller (1901-1980).
Tourist Office
Maison Waldbert
Place du Thouron
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 4 94 76 85 91
Website (in French)
Open from June 19 to September 8: Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:30 to 6:30 pm
from September 9 to June 17: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:30 to 5:30 pm, Saturday from 2:30 to 5:30 pm
History of seillans
The Seillans past begins in the Middle Ages when the Celtic Sallyens tribe settled here. They were inevitably followed by the Romans, then the monks of Saint Victor who settled on this lonely hill around the old fortifications. Over the centuries, the town grew slowly, the steep cobbled streets and shady squares clinging to the hillside.
Tour the town
From the Tourist Office, a printed brochure will guide you up the steep Parfumerie route , named after the fearsome livable Viscountess Savigny de Moncorps, whose perfumery, founded in 1881, saved the town from economic ruin. She planted jasmine, violets, roses, mint, and geraniums for the oils and perfumes made on her farm. She was also a formidable hostess, inviting artists such as the writer Guy de Maupassant, other perfumers, and Queen Victoria to her castle.
Going down towards the placette du Jeu de Ballon , you pass La Dolce Vita where Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning lived. They were here for a year before Dorothea, tired of village life, persuaded the artist to build Le Mas St-Roch nearby.
Continue walking past the Hotel des Deux Rocs , once a private house built in the 17th century by Sir Scipion de la Flotte d’Agout, now a fine hotel.
Go a little further down to the fountain where animals drank and humans washed on less fussy days. The arms of Seillans appear in the fountain with a crown at the top indicating to anyone interested in the conquest that Seillans was a fortified village.
Turn right and walk through the 12th century Porte Sarrasine that defended the first innermost wall. It is so named, not after the Saracens ( sarrasinas ), but after the style of portcullis that hung down. To your right, the castle is a flight of steps at the bottom of which is a dragon made of iron and very carefully placed. Take a close look at the dragon and how it is depicting an anatomically interesting way of projecting water from the fountain.
Follow the narrow street to the left past the Font-Jordany placette on what was the second wall. Continue to the right past rue de la Boucherie (butcher’s street). The butchers were an honorable and wealthy class, but they had to pay a fee to the local council for the privilege and keep the price of meat the same for that year. As a bonus, the butchers sold the skins to tanners. If you’ve ever been near a tannery, you will recognize the particularly unpleasant smell of cured leather, which was a distinct disadvantage to the glove and shoe makers for the wealthy.
So cunning tanners in nearby Grasse developed fragrances to hide the smell of leather. People’s bodies had an equally rancid smell, so the logical step from here was body fragrances. To this day, Grasse remains the center of the perfume industry.
If you want to return to the place du Thouron and its restaurants and cafes, walk down Butcher Street. Otherwise, head down the steps facing the rue du Mitan-Four and keep your eyes open for the community bread oven. Keep walking until rue de la Vanade, which forms the third outer wall, then turn left towards Porte Sarrasine and place du Thouron . The hike should only take about an hour unless you delay to take advantage of some very photogenic views.
Notre-Dame de l’Ormeau Chapel
At the bottom of the village, and only accessible with a guided tour, the small chapel houses one of the most remarkable framed altarpieces in Provence, an altarpiece commissioned by Bernard Pellicot, co-Seigneur de Seillans and engineer for Francois I. It is sculpted in Painted wood and dates from 1539-1547. Seven scenes are carved, each one an episode in the life of the Virgin Mary. In the center, an extraordinary Jesse tree contains 19 figures, carved from a single piece of walnut. The left side of the altarpiece has a sculpture representing the Adoration of the Shepherds; the right is the adoration of the magi.
It is a powerful piece of carving even today; For the illiterate peasants of the past, its effect must have been extraordinary.
Visits every Thursday morning at 11:15 am in the chapel. In July and August there is also a tour at 5.30pm on Tuesdays.
Purchases
There is a thriving arts and crafts community that produces terra cotta tiles, jewelry, paintings and sculptures, and wooden toys. The village also has a furniture restorer and a screen printer that makes beautiful aprons and children’s clothing. Go to Emilie Volkmar-Leibovitz at 9 Rue de L’eglise to see her at work.
Where to stay
Hotel Restaurant des Deux Rocs
Place Font d’Amont
Seillans
Phone: 00 33 (0) 4 94 76 87 32
Web sitio
Outside of Seillans
Chateau de Trigance
Route du château
Trigance
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 4 94 76 91 18
Website
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Events
There are always many things in this prosperous town. One of the most important events is the annual Musique Cordiale festival, which takes place from August 5-6 and from August 18 to 19 each year.
Festival information
Contact your local tourist office for local markets and festivals in and around town.
Car rental
- If you are renting a car, there are several different possibilities to explore. For short-term car rentals, compare these rates.
- For long-term car rental, your best option is the Renault Eurodrive.
More to see and do in the region
- Road trip around the Gorges du Verdon
- Provence’s top 10 attractions
- Major hillside villages of Provence
