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CASSIS CASTLE

A fortified building from between the 8th-9th centuries, undoubtedly built on the vestiges of a first building from the 8th century. The fortress has belonged to the powerful Baux family since 1232, who also own the Baronship of Aubagne and the Lordship of Roquefort. It is inside this "fortress" that medieval Cassis developed and where the people sought protection from barbarian invasions and bandits. At the end of the 15th century this castle sheltered more than 250 inhabitants.
Taken by storm in 1524 by the troops of Charles Quint, the Citadel was then gradually left behind in preference for the small township that had developed on the edge of the shore and the castle then became a military fortress.
Sold by the Domaines in 1896 and resold on several occasions, the castle is now private property and has been developed into a luxury hotel.

 

CAMARGO FOUNDATION ( http://www.camargofoundation.org/)

At the beginning of the 1930's, having studied painting in Paris, Jerome Hill, an American artist and heir to the designer of the Great Northern Railroad, paid several visits to Cassis. He succumbed completely to the magic of the area, and in 1939 he bought a house and it's surrounding grounds from Madge Oliver, an English painter and professor of Art of whom Winston Churchill was one of her more famous pupils. In 1960, Hill extended his property with the purchase of the adjacent Panorama hotel. In 1967, he created the Camargo Foundation which receives up to 12 "fellows" each year; painters, plastics technicians, writers, photographers and film makers who, accompanied by their family, wish to work on French culture. Today, the buildings of the Camargo Foundation house, not only apartments intended for the artists, but also a library, a music room, a conference room and a photography darkroom.

 

THE WINDMILL OF MARC

This edifice, which is currently under development, is the last remaining example in Cassis of the windmills that were formerly used to grind wheat. The date that is engraved on the stone lintel above the main door probably corresponds to the year of construction.

 

THE FURNACE HOUSE

Work carried out in 1999 on a building located at the corner of the la rue du Four (Furnace Street) and la rue Thérèse Rastit revealed the existence of a well conserved baker's oven that probably dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. It appears to be a communal oven as there were several in Cassis during the 16th century and it was situated nearby a communal oil press.
This bakery also revealed in its cellar the remains of pottery dating back to the 1st century BC, which confirm the existence of a port or mooring place in Cassis during this time.

Cassis -Office du Tourisme et des Congrès - Quai des Moulins 13260 Cassis - Tel : 0892 259 892 (0,34 € HT / min) - Fax : 04 42 01 28 31 - © OT Cassis 2007/2009