Belgentier

The main church of Belgentier is the parish Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, rebuilt in the 17th century. It's topped with a large Italian Renaissance dome and a cosmogonique campanile. The large fresco on the side of the church [Photo-01], representing the visit of Louis XIV in 1660, faces the main road and gives charm to the village.

Belgentier is the north-most village in the narrow Gapeau valley, guarding a migration (and invasion) route leading south past Solliès-Toucas, Solliès Pont, Solliès-Ville and La Farlède towards the coast at the east side of Toulon.

The Gapeau river flows through the center, giving a refreshing and picturesque aspect to the town. The main road through Belgentier is lined with a few shops, a very colorful post office (Belgentier PTT) and some good restaurants.

Many narrow streets in the old village have interesting houses, many 17th-century doorways, and some very bright Provencal colors [Photo-04]. We also especially liked a street with high rock sides with a house perched on top [Photo-05]. We had to opportunity to chat with the owners of that house, who agreed that it was unfortunate that locals parked their cars in the midst of the old town.
There's an especially elaborate and nice trompe-l'oeil wall mural in the old village [Photo-06]. The scene depicts washer women working at the lavoir, and is located at the old lavoir.

Royal Visit and Two Mousquetaires

The visit of the Sun King, Louis XIV (Kings) in 1660 was an important event for Belgentier. The occasion is marked by the large fresco on the side of the church, visible to all who pass through the town.

At a side wall of the chateau, on a small street in the old town, a small doorway has a notice explaining the event, about how the king and his party passed through that spot entering the chateau [Photo-03]. The notice is a simple piece of paper, well worn, and with signs of being replaced from time to time. It states, roughly translated, The 17 February 1660 King Louix XIV passed through here to sleep at the Chateau Peiresc. He was accompanied by the Queen Mother, his brother the Duke of Anjou, Mademoiselle daughter of Gaston d'Orléans, Mazarin, and the celebrated Mousquetaires Comminges and D'Artagnan.

Château de Peiresc

Belgentier's Château de Peiresc was rebuilt in the 17th century for the Peiresc family. The chateau is private and not open to visitors. You have a view of the original chateau entry from the stone bridge in the town park, Parc Peiresc.

Fabri de Peiresc

Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580-1637) is a favorite son of Belgentier. Peiresc was an astronomer, antiquary, savant and world traveler who brought back from the Orient the first tuberose (tubéreuse) and the first medlar tree (néfler) from Japan.

The family fled Aix-en-Provence to avoid the plague and settled in Belgentier. Nicolas-Claude was born here on the 1st of December 1580.

He studied law, completing his legal studies in 1604 at the University of Montpellier. At that time he assumed the name Peiresc after a domain in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (the current Peyresq near Digne-les-Bains) that he had inherited from his father, although he never went there.

Peiresc also studied archaeology, fossils and astronomy. His position as a great intellectual at the move from the Renaissance to modern science has led to his being called a "Prince of the republic of Letters". From his prolific writing, 10,000 letters survive.

His patron Guillaume du Vair purchased a telescope in 1610. With it Peiresc discovered the Orion Nebula. He coordinated the observation of the lunar eclipses of 28 August 1635 across the Mediterranean to make more precise longitude calculations for some European cities and the length of the Mediterranean.

Peiresc died in Aix-en-Provence 24 June 1637. The lunar crater Peirescius is named after him.