Le Bar-sur-Loup

Geography

The commune gets its name from the Loup, a coastal river that runs through it. The Loup flows into the Mediterranean near Villeneuve-Loubet.

History

The first record of the commune was recorded in 1078, in the book Albarnum or Poncii Albarni. In 1235, the village was renamed to Catrum de Albarno, and throughout the 16th century, it was renamed to Lou Barn, Le Barn, and finally Le Bar-sur-Loup.

Places and monuments

Church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur :The carvings on the door are quite notable. On the inside is an altarpiece painted by Ludovico Brea, dating to the 16th century, as well as statues from the 17th century. In the back of the church, there is a wood carving of a danse macabre from the 15th century.

Le château des comtes de Grasse :A quadrangular building built on vaulted cellars, with two towers to the south and a smaller one to the north. The castle was sacked in 1792 and sold to the villagers in 1832. Restored, it was divided into apartments. It was the birthplace of François Joseph Paul de Grasse on 13 September 1722. He became the Comte de Grasse and served as a career French naval general,

:At the entrance to the courtyard before the castle is a broad-based square tower. This is the old castle keep, now used as a tourist office. Before it was dismantled in 1792, it had seven storeys. A museum has been set up on the first floor which tells the stories of the village's most famous residents. The Chateau de Grasse is now operated as a hotel.

Gallery

Image:Le Bar-sur-Loup - Église Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur -293.jpg|Église Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur Image:Le Bar-sur-Loup - Église Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur -298.jpg|Roman funerary plaque in the wall of the church Image:Le Bar-sur-Loup -287.jpg|Le château des comtes de Grasse Image:Le Bar-sur-Loup -289.jpg|The base of the old tower keep Image:Le Bar-sur-Loup -304.jpg|La porte Sarrasine (The Saracen door) Image:Le Bar-sur-Loup -307.jpg|The Loup gorge as seen from the church square

Demographics

|1968 |1647 |1975 |1691 |1982 |2043 |1990 |2465 |1999 |2543 |2009 |2805 |2014 |2998 |2020 |2927 Its inhabitants are known as Aubarnais in French – Aubarnenc in Occitan – or simply Barois.

Legend

During Lent, a count in Le Bar held a party during which all the guests died. A danse macabre was painted to commemorate this divine punishment. It shows Death as an archer, firing arrows at the guests. Ghosts rise from the mouths of the corpses in the form of small, naked people, who are weighed in a balance held by Saint Michael (sitting at the feet of Christ). The ghosts are sent into the jaws of a monster, representing the entrance to hell.

Notable persons

• François Joseph Paul de Grasse (1722-1788), Comte de Grasse and career naval officer who made rank of admiral and was a hero to the American Revolutionary War, defeating the British in a critical battle.
• Francis Jean Gaston Alfred Ponge (1899-1988), the notable poet, died in Le Bar-sur-Loup on August 6, 1988.

Sister city

Le Bar-sur-Loup has a sister city:

• USA Poquoson, Virginia, United States of America.{{cite web |access-date = 2007-07-08 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070702141359/http://www.cdj-lebarsurloup.com/barsurloup.html |archive-date = 2007-07-02

References

References

1. (2 December 2020). "Répertoire national des élus: les maires".
2. "Le Bar-sur-Loup visit, photos, travel info and hotels, by Provence Beyond".
3. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/7633058?geo=COM-06010#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE