Rent a villa in Grimaud and step back in time: a brief history of Grimaud.

Écrit par Steve Honey Jeudi, 22 Décembre 2011 11:18

The delightful town of Grimaud perches on the top of a hill over looking the Golfe de St Tropez, dominated by the ruins of an 11^th century castle, and steeped in history.

Once the stronghold of the Grimaldis, Monaco’s ruling family, the town is a delightful contrast to the glitz and glamour found on the coast as those who choose to rent a villa Grimaud will quickly discover.

Grimaud, not to be confused with the neighbouring seaside resort of Port Grimaud, is situated at the edge of the grand Massif des Maures, some 12km west of Saint-Tropez, and 10km south-west of Sainte-Maxime. Its location lends it to some of the most stunning views in the area and in a previous age, meant that it was of great strategic importance.

Grimaud’s long and colourful history goes all the way back to Roman times, when the hill drew the attention of conquering forces. It was the perfect place from where to control access from the sea as well as from the north over the Maures Moutains.

The castle dominated the area until the 17^th century and in fact, up until this point, the famous Golfe de Saint Tropez was known as the Golfe de Grimaud.

Originally the villagers lived in the castle, but as the population grew, the village started to expand to land below castle, towards Saint-Tropez. There are four notable churches in the village: Saint Michel’s church built in the Roman times; the 11^th century Notre Dame de la Questa, the 15^th century Penitent’s Chapel and the 18^th century Saint Roch’s chapel.

Other historical sites which will undoubtedly charm those who choose to rent a villa Grimaud are the Saint Roch’s Windmill built in the 17^th century and the Pont des Fées, a small aqueduct which brought water to the village in the 16^th century.

Real estate in Grimaud today is thriving as the town manages seemingly effortlessly to find the balance between old and new. It currently has a population which hovers around 3,500, many of whom are locals who have lived here all their lives. To help elderly residents such as these the Mairie has come up with a novel solution: it has installed a glass elevator to carry people from the main street at the bottom of the village to the main square above.