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A not so kind introduction

Ancient history and
musée de l'Annonciade

Modern history and stars

How easy it is to forget in this “mundane “ surrounding that also Saint-Tropez has a long history. This exceptional bay had to attract, of course, all kinds of conquerors. Ligurians, Celts, Greeks and evidently Romans fell in love with the site. 
In a document of 1055 a certain “Ecclesia Sancti Torpetis” is mentioned, in relation to a saint ”Torpes”, a Roman centurion steward to the Emperor Nero’s palace, who became Christian and was beheaded for his faith in the year 68. Legend says that the head of the beheaded corpse was thrown together with a rooster and a dog, supposedly to gnaw what was left of him, in a small boat. Cast adrift the boat landed 19 days later on the coast of the contemporary Saint-Tropez. The horrifying contents were found by a certain Celestina, Christian herself, who hid the corpse of the martyr, and build him a chapel who buried the body. What happened to the dog and rooster, legend doesn’t tell us…. You don't believe that story? Check the names of 2 nearby villages Cogolin (meaning in old French: small rooster) and Grimaud (meaning: dog in old French). This holds the legend alive!
The town was sacked and its population killed or dispersed by Saracen raiders after their defeat at Poitiers in the 7th and 9th century. The citadel overlooking the town dates from the ensuing period of well-organized security. 
In the 15th century, under Genoan rule, up to  the 17th, the city became a "ville franche" where no taxes were paid and which could have its own army, until  Raffaele de Garezzio received the order to repopulate and fortify the city with more Genoan families. The city became prosperous and wealthy. But then the pain in the ass, Colbert, minister of Louis XIV ended all this in 1672 , since Louis XIV didn't want any city to have special privileges.  
In the 19th century, the city of Saint-Tropez was mainly a tuna fish harbour in the late 19th century. The bombing-raids of the landing of 15th of August 1944, caused severe damages but luckily after the war, St.Tropez had very clever administrators who didn't allow real estate promoters to destroy the old charm of the city.  It was rebuild on the same model, giving today a faithful image of what the city was 400 years ago.

Watching from Senequier terrace

The center of Saint-Tropez is the old port enclosed by the long stone Jean Revelly jetty extending outwards from the squat, round 15th century Portalet Tower, All along the quays you have fashionable cafés, notably the all-red Senequier, still famed for its nougat, and, stern to the quays, great yachts, futuristic plastic white gin palaces or gleaming teak classics, with uniformed crews and, increasingly, non-sailing corporate chatterers. Between the new port and the sea-front heliport is a huge, continually packed car-park, with a small shaded area for dogs with bowls of water and an attendant, financed by the Brigitte Bardot foundation. 
On the west side of the old Port is the “musee de L’ANNONCIADE, a marvellous museum, housed in an early 16th century chapel, imaginatively renovated for the purpose. The works were bequeathed by a certain Georges Grammont, manufacturer of deep-sea wires, native of Lyon, to the city of Saint-Tropez, which turned the existing chapel into this museum and opened in 1955 with a stunning impressionist paintings collection.

Boys on beach by Henri Cross

In 1956 the museum was robbed of almost his entire collection!!! Miraculously, the whole collection popped up the year after. For someone not knowing about the museum and not asking about it, would never find it!!
Besides four Maillol sculptures, the museum has works by Paul Signac (10 watercolours and five oils rotating), Van Dongen, Matisse, Seurat, Bonnard, Rouault, Utrillo and Dufy. They worked with idea of having their works exposed in the local museum. Let’s pay a tribute to Mr. Grammont, the deep sea wires manufacturer with an infallible taste of art.
Next a stroll through Saint-Tropez.

Bibliography: 

Mary Blume, "Cote d'Azur. Inventing the French Riviera" (Thames and Hudson, London 1982), Stephen Liégeard, "La Cote d'Azur" (Ed.Serre, Nice 1988 a reprint), " Roman remains of southern France ", by James Bromwich (Routledge London 1993, "Guide du Routard 1999", (ed. Hachette), "Dorpjes rond het St.Tropez schiereiland", by J. Helperszoon (Alk 1996), Calvin Tomkins, “Living well is the best revenge” (E.P.Dutton)-“Les Pointillistes en Méditerrannée”, by Ger.Dumortier ed. Livres Bruxelles 1998), “St. Tropez baai and hinterland », by Joop van Nieuwenhuizen (ed. Hansma, Maastricht 1995)

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A charming walk through
the city

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