Faience (Var)

Faience
region	Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Department	Var
Arrondissement	Draguignan
Canton	Roquebrune-sur-Argens
Community association	Pays de Fayence
Coordinates	43 ° 37 ' N , 6 ° 42' E Coordinates: 43 ° 37 ' N , 6 ° 42' E
height	184-665 m
surface	27.68 km 2
Residents	5,792 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	209 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	83440
INSEE code	83055
Website	http://www.mairiedefayence.com

Pottery is a French municipality with 5792 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the Var department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur . It belongs to the canton of Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the Arrondissement of Draguignan .

geography

Faience / Var

Fayence lies on the edge of the southern foothills of the Alps, which rise up to 665 m in the area of the municipality, on the edge of an extensive plain belonging to the Plans de Provence . Geologically, the soil is partly determined by limestone, on which oaks grow, in other parts granite predominates, there are cork oaks and pines .

history

Faience was first mentioned in 909 with the name Fagentia . In 1119 a source mentions the place Favenza . The name goes back to the Latin name Faventia Loca ( advantageous place ) and already indicates the settlement in Roman times. In the 12th century gave Alfonso I of Aragon Fayence the bishops of Frejus to fiefs , who established a castle that stood until the 18th century when it was destroyed because it was considered expensive and useless.

tourism

Attractions

The 18th century church of St Jean-Baptiste. It is the church of the Catholic parish of Fayence , which is looked after by the Saint Martin community.
The château of the bishops of Fréjus dates back to the 12th century. On the bell tower above the castle ruins, there is a lookout point with an orientation table that gives an overview of the valley.
The Chapelle Notre Dame des Cyprès chapel in the Fayence valley dates back to the 15th century. The St. Roch chapel is located further up in the village.
The tourist office organizes regular guided tours through the old town center of Fayence.

Museums

Two public bread ovens: Four du Mitan
Farm museum with mills from the 12th to 17th centuries
Museum of Local History of the Association "UNe semaine en Août" ( http://unesemaineenaout.blogspot.com )

leisure

a tandem falcon in faience

The first European gliding center is located in Fayence. The Fayence-Tourrettes airfield celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2005. The resident club (AAPCA) is one of the largest gliding clubs in France. Faience was u. a. Famous for gliding because this is where the wave flight for gliding was discovered. On November 16, 1947, Daniel Soyez accidentally discovered a wave current that carried him up to an altitude of 3800 meters. Jules Landi and Marcel Giovanini climbed shortly afterwards with a Castel 253 up to 6000 meters. Cold and lack of oxygen forced them to abandon the flight; But faience was discovered for wave flying and a new dimension of gliding began, which was soon to attract the glider pilots from Germany.
An extensive network of trails has been created for hikers and mountain bikers. In the Lac de Saint-Cassien , fans of diving will find a suitable infrastructure. There are also offers for riders, canyoning and relaxation vacations.

Culture

Numerous events and exhibitions are organized throughout the year:

The Fête du pain ( bread (purchase) festival) takes place on the first Sunday of July in odd years. The citizens of Fayence dress as it was a hundred years ago, showing old crafts and old games. Traditional scenes and Provencal folklore are performed in all the streets of the village.
The important festival of string quartets ( Festival de quatuors à cordes ) takes place in the last week of October. World-class string quartets meet here and give concerts in the churches of the Pays de Fayence.
The pilgrimage to Notre-Dame-des-Cyprès with the traditional Farandole lasts four days.

Personalities

Henri Dulac , mathematician (born and died in Fayence, 1870–1955)