The Citadel's low walls
02 au 22 Sep 2023
Place : Saint-Tropez (Var)
Participants: Adults
Workcamp description:
The pre-Vauban citadel of Saint-Tropez, whose keep and enclosure are classified as Historic Monuments, is a haven of peace that dominates the town and its famous bay. For more than 20 years, the commune has entrusted us with the restoration of the walls, works and path of the Citadel. This summer, your workcamp's mission will be to restore the parapet wall overhanging the access road to the Citadel as well as the construction of a retaining wall for the glacis of the keep. Stones and lime mortar were the order of the day, with an unobstructed view of the sea before diving in!
Workcamp programme:
- Dismantling the damaged wall
- Removal of the wall remains in the slope
- Search for the foundations
- Reconstruction of the wall
Building technique: Lime mortar stonework
Special bonus: The workcamp takes place in September, so you’ll still have the summer sun but none of the crowds that mob the Côte d’Azur in July and August.
Event during the workcamp : The European Heritage Days are the must-see event for history and architecture lovers!
Accommodation: In campsite chalets, with shared rooms, 20 minutes’ drive from the workcamp.
Workcamp life: Take turns in daily life tasks (preparation of meals, maintenance).
Work on the workcamp 4 days a week.
Free time on a weekday and weekend, choice of visits and activities taken as a group.
Some ideas for excursions: Visits to the seaside resorts of the Côte d’Azur but also into the back country of the Var to see the La Verne Monastery, the Fairy Bridge in Grimaud, La Garde Freinet, walks in the Maures valley, along the coastal path or the discovery of the Hyeres salt flats.
A bit of history:
Saint Tropez is best known for its port, beaches, police and of course, it’s citadel!
While it has reigned over the town for 400 years, our teams of volunteers have been carefully working to conserve and restore it for the last 20 summers.
The citadel is a pre-Vauban construction and remains one of the only sizeable monuments of this type on the Var coastline.
The first reference to it dates back to 1583 when a record refers to a building on the “Colline des Moulins” hill. Later, in 1607 the castle keep was completed, with its thick hexagonal walls encircling a large internal courtyard.
Today, the citadel houses the town’s maritime history museum, where visitors can learn about famous seafaring explorers as well as the men and women who lived in the town and port.