Overlooking the valley of the Var, the medieval village of Villars sur Var unfolds on the plateau of Savel, 400 meters high. Situated on hillsides, it dominates the Var river, the Provence railway and road 6202. The village invites its visitors to walk through the cobbled and narrow streets. Old houses with carved doors and lintels adorn these picturesque streets.

History:

The village is very likely originated from the Ligurian tribe Eguituri, shepherds who had to submit to the Augustan army as the Trophy of La Turbie evokes. The Saint-Jean-du-Désert Chapel testifies to their presence and their installation in the village on the plateau of the same name. The chapel later became a place of annual pilgrimage on the occasion of the feast of St. John each June 24th.

Subsequently, the history of Villars is closely related to the Beuil County before being assimilated to the tormented history of the County of Nice. The village was first Roman then a dominion of the Benedictines of Lerins, of the Templars, and finally of the Thorame-Glandevès.

In 1388, the village is given to the Grimaldi of Beuil. In 1621, Annibal Grimaldi is executed and the castle destroyed. Villars then passes into the hands of Piedmontese notables. After the French occupation of Louis XIV and Louis XV in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the revolutionary troops drove the last feudal landowner out. On March 24, 1860 , Villars unanimous participated in the plebiscite, which establishes the unification of the County of Nice with France.

Since August 24, 1981, Villars sur Var has been twinned with the City of Cherasco in the province of Cuneo, Italy.

To see / To do:

St John the Baptist Church : Built by the Templar Knights in the twelfth century, it houses an altarpiece attributed to Ronzen, a Flemish painter, and a statue of St. John Baptist that we owe to Matthew of Antwerp, a Flemish sculptor. The church is decorated with a Provençal Romanesque bell tower at the top and surmounted by a pyramid with twelve stones on each face, corresponding, perhaps, to the twelve apostles.

The Villars Chapels
- The Chapel of the Penitents (seventeenth / eighteenth centuries) restored in 1830, 1924 and 1982, which now houses the war memorial.
- In and around the village, one can discover eight chapels dedicated to Saints protectors.

People have been cultivated the vine in Villars for the Middle Ages. Since 1992, four hectares have been producing a wine, with an appellation of origin "Côte de Provence". The Sassi family continues a three-generation tradition. Acclaimed by the greatest French chefs, a tasting is required (to drink with moderation!).

Access:

From the Villars railways station, walkers can reach the village in 30 minutes through a marked path. The vehicles will leave the RD 6202, take a right and drive 2 km on the RD 26. This road allows, once you have stopped at Villars, either to join the RD 6202 through the pleasant villages of Massoins, then of Tournefort and go back via the valley of the Tinée, or to follow the RD 226 to admire the site of Thiéry.