itshanglais-lox-1055 - Office de Tourisme d`Istres

ISTRES
THROUGH ITS HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
The first signs of human settlement in this
area date from around 10,000 BC during
the Magdalenian period, when nomadic
tribes settled under a rock shelter on the
left side of the Sulauze Valley. The site was
named Abri Cornille and was first excavated by local association the Friends of Old
Istres, until France’s National Centre for
Scientific Research (CNRS) took over when
it became apparent that this was a major
prehistoric site.
jour Abbey. From that time forward, Istres
has played a part in local history.
At the end of the Neolithic period, around
4,000 BC, a civilisation of hunters and
fisherpeople settled on Miouvin, a hill
overlooking the Etang de l’Olivier lagoon.
Here again, archaeological digs unearthed
many tools made of bone or flint, along
with terracotta containers used by the
inhabitants of the site.
It subsequently passed to his heir Charles
d’Anjou, Prince of Taranto and brother of
Louis II, King of Naples. After Queen Yolanda was granted the Baronnie de Berre in
appanage, she gave it to her son Charles
du Maine in 1438. In 1473 Istres, along
with several surrounding properties, was
incorporated into the Vicomté de Martigues – a title created for Charles III who
went on to become Comte de Provence
on the death of his uncle, the famous Roi
René (1409 – 1480).
When a settlement was built at Oppidum
du Castellan, a rocky spur towering over
the Etang de l’Olivier near the modern-day
town, it signalled that the ancestors of today’s local population had arrived to stay.
Pottery, oil lamps and coins discovered
here show that this site was continuously
occupied from the sixth century BC until
the dawn of the Middle Ages.
The name Istres (‘Ystrio’) first appeared
in 966 in a charter by Conrad the Peaceful, King of Burgundy and Provence, which
tells us that the town owned a castle there
(Castrum) and was liable to pay certain
sums for property belonging to Montma-
2
The area became the House of Baux’s
stronghold in the 12th century and was
then handed down to the Berre branch
of this illustrious family. When François
des Baux was convicted of a capital crime
against Queen Jeanne in 1376, his property was confiscated and incorporated into
the Comtes de Provence’s estates.
On 8 May 1476, Charles handed over the
estate of Istres and the fiefdom of Entressen where the famous tower still stands
(see page 22) to his creditor Bertrand
Foissard, a trader from the town of Aix, to
pay off his debt of 9,349 pounds, 7 sous
and 6 deniers. The Comté de Provence was
incorporated into the royal estate in 1471
and the Seigneurie d’Istres belonged to
the Foissard family until 1609, when it
was returned to the Princes of Martigues
under the governance of the Duc de Mercoeur, followed by the Villard and Gallifet
families.
The population of Istres fluctuated around
1,000 – 1,500 in the 16th century under
the successive blows of several epidemics, reaching 2,157 by the time of Expilly’s 1765 census.
3,495 inhabitants were officially registered in the town in 1901.
The First World War brought the establishment of a Military Aviation Academy
in 1917, followed by an air force base,
pushing the population up steadily until
Istres counted 7,286 inhabitants in 1936.
More and more people settled in the area
after the War as a result of the region’s
industrial development. By 1968 there
were 13,434 inhabitants and the new
industrial complex at Fos accelerated
the town’s growth even more, to reach a
population of 18,135 in 1975. The 1992
census counted 36,703 Istres inhabitants.
Today : 44,000 inhabitants
René Giroussens
View of the old town
3
The old town
Old Istres was built on a limestone bed
rich in fossilised oysters, forming a hill
with an oval base (about 250 m by 188 m)
stretching from north to south and with a
central peak rising 30 m above sea level.
This village perched on a rocky hilltop is
typical of Mediterranean rural settlements.
Houses are built outwards from the central
castle, in concentric circles along radial
arteries. The town appears to have reached its full size relatively early, since the
city wall was probably finished by 1379.
By the 16th century, the heights of Haut
d’Istres were already “a field of ruins”.
The region’s rapid economic development
during the 16th and 17th centuries saw
Istres expand with almost the whole town
being rebuilt: most of its houses date from
between the 16th and 18th centuries.
Although the town walls were crumbling in
places and had been opened up to create
passages to the new suburbs, they appear
to have remained until the 18th century.
Istres’ Old Town does boast a few handsome town houses, but it was primarily a
rural market town.
With its salt marshes, olive groves, hay,
cherry orchards, sheep and silkworm
breeding, Istres was almost self-sufficient. The common layout of the houses is
a result of the town’s high concentration
of land-owning farmers and agricultural
workers: granary on the top floor, living
quarters in the middle, stables on the
ground floor. Most were built over cellars dug into the rock, which served as
quarries to provide stones for the base of
the dwelling’s walls. This explains why the
lower part of these walls is in local yellow
stone that needs a protective render, while
higher parts are constructed with stones
from quarries around Istres, which would
have been more expensive because of the
additional transportation costs. Streets
were paved with shingle obtained locally
from Crau (“calade”) and the load-bearing,
canted corner buttresses at the angles of
the streets are a constant reminder of the
town’s agricultural past, when wagons
needed to turn easily.
Niches in some buildings bear witness
to the Catholic fervour that was rife in
Provence up until the 19th century. Besides agricultural workers, the economy of
Istres’ old town also encompassed many
artisans and traders, recalled in some of
the street names: For instance, the Grande
Rue des Fabres originates from fabre
meaning blacksmith in Provençal, a word
derived from the Latin faber that signified
an artisan. There were also a lawyer, a
notary, a School Regent, religious orders,
children and elderly people – a lively
community that inhabited the little streets
of Istres during France’s Ancien Régime.
Rooftops of the Old Town
Rooftops of the Old Town >
4
5
TOUR
Departing from the Tourist Office
Four maps are displayed at the entrances to the
Old Town to guide visitors, and around 60 enamelled plaques make it easy to find the main
points of interest on this tour.
Etang de
l’Olivier
Oppidum du
Castellan
This guide features a modified route designed
for people with reduced mobility and people in
manual wheelchairs. Look for the paragraphs
marked with the symbol to follow the modified
route.
. The suggested route includes some
rather steep sections, where it is necessary to
be accompanied. You can also get an Accessibility Guide to the town from the Tourist Office.
Cité
administrative
20
21
Jet d'eau
19
Chapelle Saint
Sulpice
22
Pavillon de
Grignan
1
6
18
Place
Jules
Guesde
Théâtre de
l'Olivier
Jea
n Le
ba
P
d
Av.
LE PORTAIL D’ARLES (also called
St Eloi, the lower) : This gateway was
constructed between 1771 and 1773 on
the site of the old entrance in the collapsed
ramparts, by master-masons Jean Tabusteau of
Istres and François Peytrau from St Mitre, using
stone from a local quarry.
It is slightly concave in shape, featuring a very
sober front simply decorated with two floral
garlands. The left-hand garland has an incomplete inscription engraved beneath it : «All
citizens living in the same» – a phrase inspired
by revolutionary ideas. The complete sentence
can be found on the façade of Marseille’s Town
Hall : «All citizens living in the same...town
are civilly responsible for safeguarding against
any attack on persons or property». The arch
rests on two pillars, while a Louis XV-style
crest adorns the keystone. A large cornice runs
around the upper part of this listed historic
monument.
Itinéraire
adapté
Rue Br
du fabre
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Rue
Place
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Escaliers
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16
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Rue Alfred
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5
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9
14
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13
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Place de
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7
2
ALLEES JEAN JAURES (Formerly the
Cours de l’Hôpital) : A very well-known
cherry festival was held here right up until
the beginning of the century. Vehicles travelled on either side, between the houses and the
plane trees, while the central area was reserved for pedestrians. Nowadays the avenue is
completely pedestrianised – the perfect place
for a stroll or simply relaxing under the shade
of the trees.
The bust of JEAN JAURES sculpted by Eichacker
was moved to the end of Avenue Jean Lebas.
To follow the modified route, go round the
Portail d’Arles and down Rue Juiverie, named
in memory of the Jewish quarter of Istres that
came into being when Jews were hounded out
of France and admitted to the province of Provence (incorporated into the French royal terrritories in 1481). Continue to the right onto Rue
Alfred Courbon.
Go up the Allées Jean Jaurès until you see the
Escaliers de la Grille on your left. These stairs
take you to Rue Alfred Courbon in the Old Town.
In passing you’ll see a building with its top floor
slightly set back : this was probably a section
of the walkway along the old ramparts.
3
Turn right into Rue Alfred Courbon
(formerly Rue Basse). You’ll go past the
old TOWN HALL that was in use until 1830.
Its doorway is framed by two pillars and crowned by a fanlight and a large sculpted plaque
of two genies. Following a fire in 1706 that destroyed part of the archives, a second floor was
added in the 18th century that does not match
the rest of the building.
8
4
Go down the alleyway to your left that
takes you into Rue Justin Beaucaire, and
you’ll go past the buildings that constituted Istres’ TOWN HALL until 2014. Notice how
the arches of the lower part match those of the
town’s old covered market.
5
As you stand in Rue Justin Beaucaire, the house you see in front of you
belonged to the parents of Félix Gouin,
Mayor of Istres from 1922 to 1959, President of
the Constituent National Assembly in 1945 and
President of the Provisional Government of the
French Republic in 1946 (see commemorative
plaque). There is a bust of Félix Gouin by Francis Olive in the Cour Anglaise of the Museum
in Istres.
6
Continuing to the right, you come to
the evocatively-named RUE DU VIEUX
FOUR, with a space visible in the wall at
the corner for an oven dating from 1634.
7
At No. 2 Rue Alphonse Daudet you’ll
see a very handsome PRIVATE TOWN
HOUSE, RENOVATED in the 18th century
during Louis XV’s reign. It dates from before the
17th century and was formerly part of the Porte
de la Place, the main gate in the ramparts, flanked by narrow towers. This town house was one
of the town’s most splendid buildings due to its
location and size, and its inhabitants were local
dignitaries.
(This building is unfortunately not accessible to
people with reduced mobility).
Nowadays it houses the Contemporary Art
Centre, a cultural establishment under the Ouest
House restored under first empire >
Provence Urban Development Corporation
since 1993 whose main goals are to promote
contemporary art and bring it to a wider public. The art centre undertakes various actions
in order to reach different local audiences
and has set up an outreach programme within
the town walls that combines art catalogues,
devising educational tools and arranging meetings with exhibiting artists. Guided visits are
available, specifically tailored to the needs
and expectations of different visitors and
stakeholders; for instance, visits prior to openings are arranged for teachers, trainers and
special interest group leaders.
CENTRE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN INTERCOMMUNAL
2 rue Alphonse Daudet / 13800 ISTRES
Tél. 00 33 (0)4 42 55 17 10
[email protected]
www.ouestprovence.fr
For those following the modified route, it
is advisable to proceed to the Sainte Famille
church (see No. 10). To get there, go right immediately into Rue Alphonse Daudet, then turn
left into Boulevard Paul Painlevé. Retrace your
steps to continue the rest of the tour.
8
Going up Rue Alphonse Daudet on
the right you’ll come to No. 21, A HOUSE
RESTORED UNDER THE FIRST EMPIRE. Its
facade features three orders of column: Doric,
Ionic and Corinthian. From here you can see
the old ramparts if you stand at the top of the
stairs – just lift your eyes and you’ll be able
to visualise where the rampart walkway was.
9
The Four Dragons’ fountain >
For those following the modified route, go
up Rue Neuve on your right until you reach the
top (very steep slope). Turn right to continue the
tour with No. 9.
Go up Rue Neuve, turn right into Grande Rue des
Fabres. First you can go into Impasse Audier
and look at the beautiful building in Rue Neuve
facing you. (From here, if you are short of time,
you can go directly to point 13 on the map).
9
LA GRANDE RUE DES FABRES This
street was one of the main commercial arteries of the Old Town and features a very
pleasing visual unity of facades, with a continuous entablature moulding running between
the storeys. In passing you’ll see the covered
passage in Rue de la Salpétrière. Go down this
little street to get to the Sainte Famille church.
For those following the modified route, go
straight to the Sainte Famille church after No. 7.
10
SAINTE FAMILLE CHURCH : This
attractive copper-clad building was
constructed in 2004 in a contemporary style, featuring a monumental dome and
stonework by journeyman apprentices.
The beautiful mosaics on its entrance door and
tympanum are the work of Jesuit Father Marko
Rupnik, an artist whose masterpieces can also
be admired at Lourdes, Fatima and San Giovanni
Rotondo.
Entering the church through a huge narthex,
visitors are immediately struck by the imposing
dimensions of its egg-shaped dome rising 19
m above them and measuring 18 m long by 26
m wide.
The dome rests on four ten-metre high pillars
10
of reinforced concrete, which weigh 50 tons
each and are crowned with capitals of Chandoré stone sculpted with symbols representing
the four evangelists : St Matthew is shown in
human form, while the lion stands for St Mark,
a bull symbolises St Luke and St John is represented by an eagle.
As well as a Tavel stone baptismal font for
children, made up of a basin resting on a crossshaped base that twists a quarter of a turn, the
church – unusually – contains a baptismal pool
for adults, to the left of the altar.
Retrace your steps back up Rue de la Salpétrière
and carry on down Grande Rue des Fabres.
11
When you get to the end, turn
right into Rue du Portail Neuf where
you’ll see a 17th-century PRIVATE
TOWN HOUSE that used to house the Museum of
Old Istres until 1987.
12
From here, you’ll come into
PLACE DES BOURRAS, named for the
confraternity of Grey Penitents or
«Bourras» who had a chapel here. THE CENTRAL FOUNTAIN was moved here from its previous location in the Town Hall square. It bears
the Istres coat of arms, «a golden star against
an azure-blue background» in memory of the
Baux family, one-time Lords of Istres. Notice
that the star has six points instead of the more
usual five.
This is the end of the modified tour. Continue straight ahead along Rue des Bourras and
then left down Boulevard Frédéric Mistral to get
back to the Portail d’Arles.
11
Alain Lepage
12
< Notre Dame de Beauvoir church
From Place des Bourras turn left into Rue Torte,
then into Rue d’Orient, and you’ll find yourself
behind Notre Dame de Beauvoir church.
13
Walk about fifty metres to the left to
admire a very pleasant little square
PLACE LEON JULIEN. This is where
the old feudal castle is thought to have been
located. Go down the Rue de la Cure where
you’ll notice a very BEAUTIFUL 19th-CENTURY
SCULPTED HAND of cast iron at the bottom of
the stairs.
14
From here you overlook a STATELY
RESIDENCE (11 Bis Rue Neuve).
This attractive 15th-century building stands at the back of a courtyard entered through a gate under an imposing stone
archway.
Its keystone still bears the mark where a heraldic stone once sat. This residence was formerly
used to house staff of the National Salt Authority. The beautiful facade on the right hand side
belongs to the former PRESBYTERY, where local
Justices of the Peace were accommodated during the French Revolution. The presbytery was
moved to the centre of town in 1905. On the
east side of the house, you can still distinguish
the coat of arms belonging to the Foissard family, who ruled Istres from 1476 to 1609. It was
carved during the revolutionary period. If you
turn around here, you’ll see a restored facade
with a trompe l’oeil window painted on it.
15
The church of NOTRE DAME DE BEAUVOIR is a listed historic building formerly called Belveyre or Beauvezer
(meaning beautiful view or panorama), and said
to be «nearer to the angels than to mankind».
It may have been built on the chapel and ruins
of the old castle – if so, this would explain the
fortified foundations and asymmetrical shape.
Its arches, plain decoration and dimensions (34
m long, 21 m wide and 11 m high) make this
church a very fine example of the Provencal
Romanesque style.
The original pointed steeple, having been struck
by lightning in 1788 and again in 1831, finally
collapsed on 28 October 1835 killing five people
(two women and three children). A new belltower
was built next to the church in the same style as
many Provencal churches and was inaugurated
in 1838.
Among this church’s distinctive features are an
18th-century organ case (restored), a holy water
stoup dating from the 16th century and marked
with the initials GD – probably for Guillaume
Dedons – as well as various church furnishings
listed on the Historic Monuments register.
To the left, facing the church is a little square
where the Chapel of the White Penitents used to
be located. From this square, take the stairs leading up to the VIEWPOINT INDICATOR where you
have a magnificent vista over the town, taking
in the Etang de l’Olivier with France’s highest
jet of water (50 m) and the Etang de Berre – on
a clear day you can even see all the way to the
Sainte Victoire mountain. Go back down along the
Rue de la Terrasse and take the small stairs on
the left that lead into a very pretty little square
(Place Joseph Bonjean) where you can still see
the traces of an old olive oil mill (there were
seven of them in Istres before the Revolution)
and the spot where an old bread oven used to be.
Keep going downwards to the Place José Coto.
13
Sites of Interest Outside the Old
Town
16
COUVENT DES CARMES (CARMELITE
CONVENT) (1 Place des Carmes,
now houses a school) : This was
one of the first buildings to be constructed
outside the town walls (in the late 17th century). There were many trials held, in which the
Barefoot Carmelites found themselves pitted
against the Istres community.
17
HBM (Bd Frédéric Mistral) : Habitations Bon Marché («Inexpensive
Social Housing») constructed in
1930 to comply with the Loucheur Law. These
were the forerunners of modern social housing.
18
SAINTE CATHERINE SPRING (Rue Ste
Catherine) : This spring formerly fed
the town’s wash house, which held
up to a hundred people at a time and constituted one of the only places in Istres where
women could gather to exchange news and
information.
19
SAINT SULPICE ROMAN CHAPEL : A
document written in 1082 by Pierre
II Archbishop of Aix tells us that
this chapel was founded before the 11th century. Since Notre Dame de Beauvoir church is
difficult to reach, funeral masses were held in
the Saint Sulpice chapel before burial in the
graveyard next door; «the dead rested there
and were prayed over before they were buried,
for the parish lies very high».
In the 16th century, a «Maladiero» – the house
where lepers were cared for – adjoined the
chapel on its north side.
This chapel is listed as a historic monument.
Saint Sulpice Chapel
Municipal Exhibition Space
Arts & Community Meeting Space
Throughout the year the chapel runs a programme of exhibitions and events bringing together amateur and professional artists around
contemporary creative practice.
The programme includes a series of educational exhibitions to support specific projects in
schools, as well as visual arts workshops and
meetings with exhibiting artists.
We also organise studios and workshops for
adults run by artists, to enrich our arts programming and open it up to new directions.
Every exhibition staged in this exceptional venue is devised to harmonise with the spaces
and create a dialogue between art and architectural heritage.
Chemin de Tivoli, Etang de l’Olivier
Tel. 00 33 (0)4 42 55 58 84
Contact for exhibitions, information and events:
Sylvie Vilette, Head of Cultural Outreach for
Istres, responsible for Saint Sulpice Chapel
Tel. 00 33 (0)6 23 15 39 31
[email protected]
www.istres.fr
Saint Sulpice chapel >
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15
Banks of l’Etang de l’Olivier >
The MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN is not far from
the chapel.
This botanical garden was begun in 1997 by
the town’s Parks and Gardens Department and
is now home to around one hundred varieties
of plants and shrubs from the Mediterranean
basin.
Istres has gained a classification of «4
flowers» for its many parks and gardens. The
biggest of them, Parc des Salles, is a 22 hectare expanse of pine woods right in the heart
of the town.
20
OPPIDUM DU CASTELLAN : This is
the name given to the rocky promontory that towers over the Etang
de l’Olivier lagoon to the north of Istres, barely
250 m wide by 500 m long and rising to 40 m
above sea level at its highest point.
The path on the eastern side of it leading up
to the summit probably replaced an ancient
staircase carved into the rock. Close to the
summit you can see a Gallic inscription carved into the rock wall spelling MATPON with
the M and A joined up – an invocation to the
Mother Goddess, according to the experts. A
little higher up, the rough outline of a column
shaft is visible and a few metres above that
you can also see the trace of an old track that
must have served to transport stone blocks
from the nearby quarry. Archeological digs carried out by the Friends of Old Istres from 1948
onwards unearthed evidence that the site was
inhabited from the 6th century BC up until the
High Middle Ages. The local population then
settled permanently in the area now covered
by the Old Town.
Recent excavations confirm that the Oppidum
constitutes a treasure trove of archaeological
finds. On the north of the plateau, a house was
16
uncovered that had been destroyed in the 2nd
century BC. The dwelling contained a decorated
domestic oven base, a bread oven, a U-shaped hearth and various fragments of everyday
objects. The highest point of the Castellan held
the tomb and skeleton of a man who, at 5’ 11’’,
was tall for that period. His body was placed
in a lying position with his arms folded behind
his back, as dictated by Iron Age funeral customs
21
ETANG DE L’OLIVIER : Our town
boasts 5 lagoons: The Etangs de
Berre, de Rassuen, d’Entressen, de
l’Olivier and de Lavalduc.
The Etang de l’Olivier (surface area around
200 hectares) was formerly used for salt production, a source of revenue that had to be
abandoned after the Craponne canal was built
in 1564, because poor maintenance led to its
freshwater infiltrating the salt beds.
The area has become ever more attractive over
the past century, as the marshes were filled in,
an esplanade was built, a Mediterranean garden was created by Saint Sulpice church and
lastly the banks were landscaped.
Lively events are held here throughout the year
including jousting tournaments, fishing competitions and bowls matches.
At the foot of the Oppidum de Castellan – linking the historic town centre with the Etang
de l’Olivier – stand the town’s administrative
headquarters, signalled by Daniel Buren’s monumental work La Grande Diagonale with its
57 pillars.
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The highest jet of water in France >
CHARLES DE GAULLE ESPLANADE
This huge square formerly known as Sainte
Catherine Esplanade got a massive facelift as
part of the regeneration programme around the
Etang de l’Olivier, as well as a new name. The
2,500-m² public space under the Saint Sulpice
Chapel is now at the heart of the town’s cultural events.
THE HIGHEST JET OF WATER IN FRANCE shoots
up out of Castellan Cove in the Etang de l’Olivier, reaching a record height of 50 m. This
huge, dynamic emblem can be admired both
by day and by night while taking a pleasant
stroll along the banks of the lagoon – unless
the Mistral is blowing too hard.
LOU COULOBRE
Istres’ Very Own Loch Ness Monster !
An old legend tells of LOU COULOBRE, a monster that’s half dragon, half garter snake and
that spent all its life concealed in the depths
of the Etang de l’Olivier.
Although the waters have long since swallowed up Lou Coulobre, it still lives on in the
spirit of Istres locals !
Traces of the monster can be seen in the town
to this day by those who look hard enough. At
the turn of a lane you come across the Four
Dragons’ fountain (Quatre Dragons) with its
huge jet of water shooting out like the breath
of Lou Coulobre – on a sunny day, reflections
off the sparkling water dazzle the eyes like a
monster’s silvery scales.
Perhaps Lou Coulobre is still among us ? No
one can be totally certain...
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22
LE PAVILLON DE GRIGNAN This
little palace – a listed historic monument – started life as a hunting
pavilion, belonging first to the Craponne family
and then, up until 1853, to the Comtes de Grignan. The oldest part was probably restored
during the reign of Louis XV as it is in the style
of that period. The other part, dating from 1792,
bears the mark of the Louis XVI style.
It now belongs to the town but its last private
owner was the well-known Concorde trial pilot
André Turcat. Every year the pavilion’s gardens
come alive with music during the Nuits d’Istres
festival, with performances by famous names
from the French and international music
scenes.
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LE PALIO : The Palio bullring
was built on the same spot as the
town’s old arena and inaugurated
in 2001.
This distinctive «plaza» with its modern architectural design and amber-coloured sand accommodates 2,700 spectators seated on semicovered terraces.
The facilities are very comprehensive, including a chapel, loges, infirmary, offices, meeting
rooms, reception rooms and a terrace, making
the Palio a very functional bullring.
The 45-metre diameter arena is used for big
bullfights, corridas de rejones (horseback bullfighting) and Camargue bull-running, but other
kinds of shows are also put on here during the
summer season.
Contact the Tourist Office if you want to arrange a guided tour of the Palio.
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URBAN HIGHLIGHTS
In Istres we want art to be part of our everyday lives, so we support art projects in public spaces
that draw in local people and get them involved.
LES ART’BRIBUS (BUS STOP ART)
An urban artistic trail, showcasing bus shelter makeovers by six internationally renowned artists
for a new take on urban art.
DANIEL BUREN
When the town wanted to commission a new permanent artwork to grace the forecourt of its new
Town Hall on BERNARDIN LAUGIER ESPLANADE, they selected artist Daniel Buren for the job. His
monumental La Grande Diagonale measures 160 m in length and features 57 pillars painted in the
town’s colours – yellow on one side, blue on the other – alongside the hallmark contrasting black
and white stripes that Daniel Buren is known for.
BEN
BEN is known the world over for his text-based artworks, and Istres is proud to display two panels
designed by him and manufactured by a local company. One panel is situated near the Pavillon de
Grignan and reads «La Pensée est libre» (Thought is Free). The other, on Marie Mauron Square, bears
the words «Etre soi meme» (To Be Oneself) on one side and «La différence est une chance» (We
Are Lucky to Have Difference) on the other. These panels are sure to intrigue passers-by and lead
people to reflect on their meanings for themselves.
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Crédit photo :: Alain Lepage
DANIEL BUREN: LA GRANDE DIAGONALE, TRAVAIL IN SITU POUR DEUX COULEURS PLUS LE BLANC ET LE NOIR.
57 PILIERS DE 114 À 505 CM DE HAUTEUR. ISTRES 2013 © Daniel Buren & ADAGP Paris
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SURROUNDING AREA
BELVEDERES DE SUFFREN
The road along the lagoon by Suffren offers visitors a choice of two belvederes – landscaped
panoramic viewpoints with amenities – that are
perfect spots for enjoying the view across the
water (one of them has a viewpoint indicator
table). Both provide parking for visitors and
picknicking areas with tables and benches.
The walking trail ENTRE VILLE ET NATURE
(Between Town and Nature) passes by the
belvederes, leading on to Le Ranquet and then
into the centre of town. A walking guide is
available from the Tourist Office.
LES HEURES CLAIRES MARINA
This 210-berth marina on the Etang de Berre
sits under the east face of Les Heures Claires
plateau, where a watersports centre also offers
sailing, windsurfing, rowing and sea kayaking
on the enormous lagoon of l’Etang de Berre.
The peaceful surroundings and restaurant terraces make this a very popular spot for outings
and walks.
LE RANQUET
Up until the 1970s, l’Etang de Berre enjoyed
an ecosystem similar to that of the Mediterranean Sea so at the first signs of spring, fans
of swimming and fishing would flock to the
beaches of this little «sea».
Some came from quite far inland (the Vaucluse
or around Aix) and began to build themselves
little beach huts for weekends and summer
holidays.
Over the years, these makeshift houses have
become permanent homes and now form the
neighbourhood called Le Ranquet, situated 3
km from the town centre going towards Martigues.
Le Ranquet is sheltered in a verdant little inlet
and has retained the characteristic seaside
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charm of a summer village of wooden shacks.
Here visitors can safely enjoy a swim in the
lagoon under the watchful eye of a lifeguard,
and there’s a bar restaurant leading directly
onto the beach, alongside facilities like free
parking, showers, toilets, a water tap and a
pontoon.
QUEEN JEANNE TOWER (Entressen)
This monument, parts of which date back to the
14th century, stands in the village of Entressen
within the municipality of Istres.
The big, square tower with machicolations is
what’s known as a «surveillance tower» and
served as a military post when Guillaume II
des Baux, Lord of Istres and Entressen, established a garrison there.
A 16th-century Chapel in the Late Gothic style
can also be seen nearby. Both buildings are
listed historic monuments and can only be
viewed from outside.
RURAL CHAPELS
SAINT MICHEL CHAPEL This tiny rural chapel
– probably founded around the Carolingian
Era (751-987) – stands in the upper part of
the Saint Etienne neighbourhood, below the
firefighters’ lookout post. It was restored by a
local association for the preservation of Saint
Etienne, called l’Estevenoun.
Visitors accessing this site will pass the beautiful ST ETIENNE ORATORY at the beginning
of the Chemin de St Etienne. SAINT ETIENNE
CHAPEL was the venue for local processions,
following a vow that was pronounced at the
time of the 1720 great plague in Marseille. It
is currently being restored thanks to the efforts
of the Saint Etienne Renaissance association.
Les Heures Claires marina >
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< Walking trail «Entre Ville et Nature»
THE CROSS standing at the crossroads of the
road around the Etang de l’Olivier and the
Route de St Chamas is the mission cross of
the White Penitent Fathers, erected by them
in 1868.
DOMAINE DE SULAUZE
The Domaine de Sulauze is a private estate located 5 km from Istres on the Miramas road in
a leafy setting between vineyards and Mediterranean scrubland (called «la garrigue»). This
unusual 650-hectare estate, which reaches to
the edge of l’Etang de l’Olivier,
combines the breeding of fighting bulls with
the cultivation of special Crau hay, along with
a wine-making division that produces AOC Côteaux d’Aix.
Visitors who attend wine samplingq there
discover that the cellars are actually a vault
dug into the rockface. Other interesting sights
nearby include a hay threshing floor and the
little 18th-century Sainte Madeleine chapel.
Part of the Shepherds Festival is held at the
Domaine de Sulauze in early December each
year, where Mass is said in the traditional Provençal language, horses are blessed, and the
vintner provides free mulled wine for all the
participants.
Bull branding and heifer racing is organised for
groups in the estate’s bullring.
The Tourist Office can arrange guided
visits to the following places :
>The Historic Town Centre : Throughout the
year
>The Mediterranean Garden and around
l’étang de l’Olivier : Throughout the year.
> The Municipal Greenhouses : April and
October
> Contemporary Painting St Sulpice Chapel
and Contemporary Art Centre: Throughout the
year.
> Tour of the Historic Town Centre labelled
«Accessible to people with disabilities» by
France’s «Tourisme et Handicap authority» :
Throughout the year
> Walking trails «Entre Ville et Nature»
(Between Town and Nature), «D’un Beau
Regard à l’Autre» (From One Lovely Look to
Another) and «Les Jardins de l’Etang» (The
Gardens of the Lagoon) : Throughout the year
More tours and visits are added regularly, so
do ask us what else is available.
Tours and visits must be booked in advance for
groups of at least 8. Find out more from the Tourist
Office Tel. 00 33 (0)4 42 81 76 00
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to René Giroussens, Historian, Genealogist, and
Honorary President of Friends of Old Istres, for the valuable help and support he gives the Tourist
Office in promoting our town’s history and heritage.
We would also like to thank Rémi Balzano for his contribution to Lou Coulobre’s existence and for
his guidance in the compilation of this guide
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BOUCHES-DU-RHÔNE
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www.istres-tourisme.fr
Tourist Office opening hours
From mid-June to August :
Monday to Saturday : 9 am - 12 noon and 2 - 6 pm
Sundays and French Bank Holidays : 10 am - 1 pm
From September to mid-June :
Monday to Saturday 9 am - 12 noon and 2 - 6 pm
For important events, opening hours are extended during the week and at the weekend.
Crédit photos : photographes / Bressy Magali / Viau Laetitia / Patrick Lepicouché /
Alain Lepage
30, Allées Jean Jaurès 13800 Istres
Tél. : 04.42.81.76.00
Fax : 04.42.55.38.96
E-mail : [email protected]