Sainte-Maxime (; Occitan and Provençal: ''Santa Maxima'') is a commune in the Var department of the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pre ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

in Southeastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Located on the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...

(''Côte d'Azur''), west from

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...

and east from

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

, it had a population of 13,968 in 2017. Its inhabitants are called ''Maximois'' or ''Maximoises'' in French.

Geography

The town faces southward on the northern shore of the

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

Saint-Tropez , INSEE = 83119 , postal code = 83990 , image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Saint-Tropez-A (Var).svg , image flag=Flag of Saint-Tropez.svg Saint-Tropez (; oc, Sant Tropetz, ; ) is a commune in the Var department and the region of Provence- ...

. In the north the

Massif des Maures The Massif des Maures (, "plateau of the Moors") is a small mountain range in southeastern France. It is located in the department of Var, near Fraxinet and between Hyères and Fréjus. Its highest point, at ''Signal de la Sauvette'', is high. ...

mountain range protects it from the cold

wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ...

s of the mistral. It is the seat of the canton of Sainte-Maxime.

History

Early history

Sainte-Maxime was founded around 1000 AD by monks from the Lérins Islands outside

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...

. They built a monastery and named the village after Saint Maxime. Fishing was the economic mainstay for the inhabitants but during the early 19th century increasing amounts of

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

were shipped to

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The village grew and in the 20th century began to attract artists, poets and writers who enjoyed the climate, beautiful surroundings and azure blue water. In front of the old town is the characteristic tower, ''La Tour Carrée'', built by the monks in the early 16th century to protect the village from invaders. With an addition of a

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

s and with the ''Tour du Portalet'' in

the whole bay was protected. As late as in the beginning of the 19th century,

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

ordered a restoration of the battery while also adding cannons on the Lérins Islands. The tower is now a museum.

World War II

On 15 August 1944, the beach of Sainte-Maxime was at the centre of

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence ( Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord ...

, the invasion and liberation of

Southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', A ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. "Attack Force Delta", based around the 45th Division, landed at Sainte-Maxime. After fierce house-to-house fighting the Germans were defeated and eventually surrendered. By the foot of the Harbour pier and by ''La Garonette'' beach in the far east of the commune, memorials at the respective landing places honour the United States troops. At ''La Garonette'' beach, but formally in Les Issambres, ( Roquebrune-sur-Argens commune), the sailing centre is named ''La Batterie'', as it was the location of a German

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

Population

Economy

Tourism is the largest source of revenue for Sainte-Maxime nowadays, but the town remains lively all year round with 13 968 inhabitants as of 2017. There is the old town with shops, markets, restaurants, bars and cafés, opposite the harbour. On the pier are marine shops and an upscale restaurant, and also fast boat transportation with

Les Bateaux Verts Les Bateaux Verts is a ferry company operating a service between Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime, Port Grimaud and Les Issambres Les Issambres () is a French village situated on the coastline of the Bay of Saint Tropez, between the Mediterran ...

to Les Issambres,

St Tropez , INSEE = 83119 , postal code = 83990 , image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Saint-Tropez-A (Var).svg , image flag=Flag of Saint-Tropez.svg Saint-Tropez (; oc, Sant Tropetz, ; ) is a commune in the Var department and the region of Provence-Alp ...

and

Port Grimaud Port Grimaud is a seaside town that forms part of the commune of Grimaud in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is located seven km () (four mi ()) west of Saint-Tropez and seven km () southwest ...

. There is a shoreline promenade with parks, pine trees, boulodrome

Prince Bertil Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland (Bertil Gustaf Oskar Carl Eugén; 28 February 1912 – 5 January 1997), was a member of the Swedish royal family. He was the third son of King Gustaf VI Adolf and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught, ...

, the tourist office and the city beaches, as well as a

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

with its own piece of white sand. In addition to the city beaches, there are the Blue Flag-certified supervised ones. On the west side, ''The Croisette'' has a sailing school. On the east side of the town are ''La Nartelle, La Plage des Eléphants'' and ''La Garonette'' (also called ''Val D'Esquieres''), which all provide

water-skiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires suffi ...

and jet-skiing activities. In addition, there are several smaller beaches that are unsupervised, for a total of 10 km of publicly accessible shoreline. There are eight golf courses within a 30 minute radius by car.

Notable people

Jean de Brunhoff, the author of the

Babar Babar ( ur, ), also variously spelled as Baber, Babur, and Babor is a male given name of Pashto, and Persian origin, and a popular male given name in Pakistan. It is generally taken in reference to the Persian ''babr'' (Persian: ببر), meanin ...

books, lived in Sainte-Maxime for some time and here created the first book. One of the beaches – ''La Plage des Eléphants'' – is named after the famous blue elephant. The

Swedish royal family The Swedish royal family ( sv, Svenska kungafamiljen) since 1818 has consisted of members of the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. Today those who are recognized by the government are entitled to royal ti ...

(of the Bernadotte dynasty) owns a villa, ''Mirage'', in the town's central area. It was originally acquired by Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland in 1946 as a second home for himself and his at that time unofficial life partner Lilian Davies, later Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland. The central and ocean facing boulodrome in Sainte-Maxime is named after the prince, as he was a regular player who appreciated the uncomplicated and warm reception of the village locals. Raoul Nordling was the Swedish consul in Paris 1944 who made great efforts to save Paris and its citizens during the late phase of the Second World War. He persuaded General Choltitz to disobey Hitler's orders to destroy the French capital and many lives were saved before General Eisenhover approved General

Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque (22 November 1902 – 28 November 1947) was a Free-French general during the Second World War. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as le maréchal ...

and

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

to re-enter the town. Nordling had a house in Sainte-Maxime, ''Le Mas du Gay Savoir''; he was also named an honorary citizen. Part of the road to Grimaud is named after him.

Léon Gaumont Léon Ernest Gaumont (; 10 May 1864 – 10 August 1946) was a French inventor, engineer, and industrialist who was a pioneer of the motion picture industry. He founded the world’s first and oldest film studio Gaumont Film Company, and worked in ...

was a French inventor, engineer and industrialist who was a pioneer of the motion picture industry. Gaumont often stayed in Sainte-Maxime where he owned a castle, ''Les Tourelles'', built circa 1883. This residence served as a backdrop for several films including '' Judex'' conducted in 1916 by

Louis Feuillade Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serials '' Fantômas'', '' Les Vampires'' and '' Judex ...

that was shot in part in Sainte-Maxime. The castle – with new buildings – is now a holiday resort. Léon Gaumont died in Sainte-Maxime in 1946. Paul Géraldy or Paul Lefevre (1885–1983) was a French poet and playwright. He had a house in Sainte-Maxime named ''Toi et moi'' ("You and me") which took its name from his second book (which was his breakthrough). The house is located east of the village above the Madrague beach and now split into apartments.

Victor Margueritte Victor Margueritte (1 December 186623 March 1942) was a French novelist. He was the younger brother of Paul Margueritte (1860–1918). Life He and his brother were born in Algeria. They were the sons of General Jean Auguste Margueritte (1 ...

(1866–1942) was a French novelist and a frequent guest in Sainte-Maxime. Around 1920, he bought and developed a large property, ''La Madrague'', which stretched from the sea and climbed to the top of the ''Colline Meinier'' magnificently facing south. The writer lived in his tower with his wife until 1938. Michel Constantin (1924–2003) was a French movie actor. He was a frequent guest in Sainte-Maxime where he owned a villa at Beauvallon.

Gallery

File:Sainte-Maxime (55).jpg, The

art deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

building ''Les Sirènes'', built in 1929 File:Sainte-maxime-eglise-001.jpg, Town church at night File:Sainte-Maxime (41).jpg, Stores and restaurants next to the Promenade Simon Lorière File:Sainte-Maxime - Rue de Lorraine - View NNW.jpg, Rue de Lorraine File:Sainte-Maxime (107).jpg, A view of the town from above with the Gulf of Saint-Tropez beyond File:Tour Carrée des Dames - Sainte-Maxime (Var).JPG, Tour Carrée File:Sainte-Maxime (80)+.jpg, The Hotel Château Léon Gaumont

Sister cities

Sainte-Maxime is twinned with: *

Bellport, New York Bellport is a village in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 2,084 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Bellport is named after the Bell famil ...

* Neuenbürg *

Matthews, North Carolina Matthews is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census. History In the early 19th century, the new settlement that would become Ma ...

References

* The summary historic information is obtained from the village museum ''La Tour Carrée'' and from official Tourist Office documentation.

External links

Official site of the Village

Sainte-Maxime tourist website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saintemaxime Communes of Var (department) French Riviera