Itinerary old town

The Hyères area has been occupied since prehistoric times. The Greeks from Marseille founded the fortified trading post of Olbia in the middle of the 4th century BC.
Documents dating from 963 first mention the name Eyras, which over time became Hyères. Eyras derives from the Latin word Areae, meaning salt marshes, a source of wealth for the town in the Middle Ages.
In the 11th century, the lords of Fos built their castle on the hilltop. A fortified town developed under its protection, as evidenced by the Romanesque house, Saint-Paul church and Barruc gate.
In the 12th century, alongside this 1st urban center, the Knights Templar built a commandery, of which the Saint-Blaise tower remains.
These soldier monks exploited a vast agricultural estate to supply the crusaders. The town expanded to the foot of the hill in the 14th century.
New ramparts were built, of which the Massillon and Fenouillet gates remain.
By the Renaissance, the mild climate was already attracting visitors. Following her stay in 1564, Catherine de Medicis had orange and other exotic trees planted in her garden in Hyères.
In the 19th century, the town became a popular winter resort for the European aristocracy. New districts sprang up with the construction of grand hotels and wealthy villas.
Many artists and writers frequented the city of palms: Victor Hugo, Robert Louis Stevenson, Léon Tolstoï...
From 1920 to 1930, the Villa Noailles welcomed the artistic avant-garde of its time in a resolutely modern setting. Today, it is a place dedicated to creativity in the fields of architecture, design, fashion and photography.