Signes
| Signes | ||
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| region | Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur | |
| Department | Var | |
| Arrondissement | Toulon | |
| Canton | Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer | |
| Community association | Sud Sainte Baume | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 17 ′ N , 5 ° 52 ′ E | |
| height | 271-1,148 m | |
| surface | 133.10 km 2 | |
| Residents | 2,844 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 21 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 83870 | |
| INSEE code | 83127 | |
| Website | http://www.signes.com/ | |
 Saint-Pierre church |
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Signes is a French commune with 2,844 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the Var department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur . It belongs to the canton of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer in the arrondissement of Toulon .
geography
Signes is located on a valley floor in the Massif de la Sainte-Baume about halfway on the line connecting Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume to Toulon , both of which are about 30 km away as the crow flies. Of the 133 km² of the municipal area, 110 km² are forested. This makes Signes the most heavily forested municipality in the Var department.
history
The place is first encountered in written sources in 984 as Signa . Later the settlements Castrum Vetus , Signa Blancqua and Signa de Barrarenquis are mentioned in the area of today's Signes , from which three independent villages emerged: Château-Vieux, Signe-la-Blanche et Signes-Barrarenques. The area belonged to the domain of the Counts of Marseille , the Famille de Signes and later the Bishops of Marseille. As in many medieval castles in Provence , Cours d'amour took place in Signes .
In 1572, Frédéric de Bagueneau, Bishop of Marseille and Lord of Signes, was murdered in his residence. For a long time the citizens of Signes were called episcopal killers . In 1590 the castle was occupied by the Duc de Guise's troops.
During the Second World War Signes was a stronghold of the Resistance .
Attractions
- At the beginning of the war, footage of the Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas Lumière brothers was hidden in a house in Signes .
- The Paul Ricard Circuit runs through Signes; one curve of the course is named after the location.
- Saint-Pierre church
- Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation chapel
- Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité chapel
- Saint Clair Chapel
- Saint-Jean chapel
Personalities
- Paul Ricard (1909–1997), entrepreneur, was Mayor of Signes.
