Category — Provence Historical Facts

Greek and Roman trade in Provence

• Wreck and archeological sites in Les Embiez Island and around Provence Coast
• Roman ruins in Provence: Port-Issol (Sanary-sur-mer, Provence)

Romanesque and Medieval Period

Intellectuals exiled in Sanary/mer in the 30′s

Residences of German and Austrian intellectuals exiled in Sanary-sur-mer (1933-1945)

Lumiere Brothers – Train arriving in La Ciotat station

 
Larger View of Sanary-sur-Mer and Ollioules Area

Sanary-sru-mer

• Frederic Dumas Historical Diving Museum – Video
• Map of residences of German and Austrian artists and intellectual exiled (1933-1945)

An unique place on the Provence coast, is the little fishing town of Sanary-sur-mer. Its climate, location, history, culture and lifestyle make it an ideal choice to start discovering the coast of Provence.

Sanary – Facts of interest

• Greeks and romans had trading posts in the gulfs around Sanary-sur-mer. The surrounding beaches are rich in archeological vestiges and ruins (i.e:Port Issol)
• Intellectual and artists took refuge in Sanary-sur-mer between 1st and 2nd world wars – B. Brecht, T. Mann… lived in still existing houses in Sanary-sur-mer. Other famous anglo-saxon writers have spent time in Sanary. Amoung them, Aldous Huxley who wrote Brave New World (1932) in 4 months in La Gorguette area in Sanary-sur-mer
• Sanary is considered as the birth place of modern scuba diving and underwater movies. F. Dumas, P. Tailliez and J.Y Cousteau, also known as ‘Mousquemers‘, experimented modern scuba diving equipment and made famous underwater movies in the sea around Sanary-sur-mer (Port Issol, Bandol bay).
• Sanary-sur-mer is known for its unique wooden fishing boats
• Some of the eldest wineyeards (dating from roman empire) can be found in Bandol, Le Beausset, … few miles west of Sanary-sur-mer.

Sanary-sur-mer Resources

Official site of the city of Sanary-sur-mer (French)
Tourist and general information (French)
Sanary-sur-mer local information (French)
Sanary-sur-mer history (French)
Frederic Dumas Historical Diving Museum 
Fontvive – Village of bungalows in Sanary
Sanary-sur-mer accommodations
Sanary-sur-mer restaurants and cafes
 

Sanary-sur-mer Local Links

AGORA community organization (French)
Sanary Hand Ball (French)
“Le Rosaire” Tennis Club (French)

Ollioules

Ollioules web portal (French)
Ollioules official website

Jacques Cousteau, Frederic Dumas and Phillipe Thailliez have been the pioneers of modern diving and they started and developed their technics and skills in the waters of Sanary-sur-mer and Bandol. The Frédéric Dumas International Diving Museum in Sanary-sur-mer contains unique collection of original diving equipments used in the adventure of modern diving

Diving Links

• Frédéric Dumas International Diving Museum – http://www.scuba-museum.com/
• New belvedere commemorating the “Mousquemers”: Cousteau, Dumas and Thailliez – View some pics of the inauguration at http://www.toutsanary.fr/musee
• http://www.sanary.com/plongee.php
• Diving in the Mediterranean Sea

Sanary sur Mer

• Sanary-sur-mer Diving Center

Port Issol Bay Underwater

Six-fours-les-plages

• Cap Plongee (La Coudouliere) – http://www.blogger.com/www.capplongee.com
• Ghost Sea – http://www.blogger.com/www.ghostsea.com CPIE – http://www.blogger.com/www.clubplongee.net
• Littoral Bleu Aventure (snorkeling, aquatic discovery) – http://www.blogger.com/www.littoral-bleu.com

La Seyne sur Mer

• Au Marin Plongeur – http://www.blogger.com/www.aumarinplongeur.fr
• Hippocampe – http://www.blogger.com/www.hippocampe.com

Diving Sites – Islands

• Bendor Island – Off Bandol Coast This small island, 7 minutes by boat from Bandol, is the hosting place of the smallest harbor on the Mediterranean.
• Embiez Island The Embiez archipelago is a jewel of the Mediterranean with 95 ha of forest, vineyards, ‘garrigue’ and gardens. It is located 10 minutes by boat ride from Le Brusc harbor in Six-Fours-les-Plages, and 20 minutes from Sanary.
• Port-Cros, Le Levant and Porquerolles

Additional Information

Residences of German and Austrian intellectuals exiled in Sanary-sur-mer (1933-1945)

View German and Austrian intellectuals in Sanary-sur-mer in a larger map

• Amid the Menace of War, Sanary-sur-Mer Was a Refuge Under the Sun
  (The New York Times – Travel)
• Exile in Paradise: A Literary History of Sanary-sur-Mer(Dr. Frank Estelmann, Universität Frankfurt am Main)