Mouans-Sartoux

• Alpes-Maritimes (06370) • Population: 7,989 • Altitude: 125 m

Gallery of 17 photos for Mouans-Sartoux

Mouans-Sartoux is a mondernized Medieval village located on the flatlands between Grasse and Cannes. The old town (veille ville) is layed out in the Lerins style of symmetrical rectangles like that of nearby Valbonne.

"Mouans" is an active little town, with the lived-in old-town merging smoothly with the dynamic activities of the modern part of the town. Annual events Mouans-Sartoux has become known for include a book fair, pottery markets, winter santons exhibit and a modern multiplex cinema. • Market day Tue, Thur.

Chateau de Mouans

The original Chateau de Mouans was built in 1504-1510 by Jean de Grasse, and remained in the Grasse family until 1750, when the Villeneuves took control. In 1572 the Pompée de Grasse was assinated, and in 1597 the chateau of Mouans was destroyed. It was rebuilt by Suzanne de Villeneuve, the widow of the Pompée de Grasse. Suffering various amounts of destruction and rebuilding over the centuries, the chateau has finally been rebuilt, especially following the original basic design with its rare triangular form and three towers.

Today the chateau houses an art museum, L'Espace de l'Art Concret, with 25 rooms and two resident artists.

History of Mouans-Sartoux

Mouans: 11th century castrum Morsanis. Co-domain of Grasse-Bar in the 13th century; completely in the domain of Grasse in the 15th century.
Sartoux: 11th century castrum Sartopolis. Co-domain of Grasse-Bar in the 13th century, then of several other families.

Mouans-Sartoux began as the village of Mouans, located at its current emplacement on the plains, and the village of Sartoux, located on the hilltop of Castelaras (about 1 km to the east).

Both Mouans and Sartoux were deserted in the Middle Ages because of the plague and general insecurity. In 1496 they were both repopulated by decree. Pierre de Grasse, the lord of Mouans, brought 60 families of "Figons" over from Genoa and rebuilt the village at its current location.

In 1858, the two villages were joined into the current Mouans-Sartoux by Napoleon III.

Dates

Market day: Tue, Thur.

June - Fete, Feux de la St Jean
Oct - Festival du Livre - Book Fair for 3 days

Museums

Chateau Museum

The museum on the chateau grounds is small but extremely well presented, and it's free. The reconstructed olive-oil mill that you walk into looks like it could start working at any moment.

Transportation Mouans-Sartoux

Bus Line 600 Cannes - Grasse

Bus line 600, Cannes - Grasse, serves Cannes, Mougins, Mouans-Sartoux and Grasse. The route near Grasse is the Cannes-Grasse road via the Quatre Chemins. The full trip takes about 50 minutes and costs 1 euro.
An official list of Alpes-Maritimes bus lines, with links to the schedules for each line (PDF), is available on the following link:
Web: www.cg06.fr/fr/servir-les-habitants/deplacements/transport-collectifs/lignes-et-horaires/lignes-et-horaires/