Page 131 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

THE V AR AND THE ILES D ’ H Y ERES  129

lFréjus Just to the north of here the
remains of the semicircular, 1st-
Road map E4. * 52,344. £ St Raphaël.
@ n 249 rue Jean-Jaurès (04 94 51 century theatre can be viewed.
83 83). ( Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun. In their midst, performances are
∑ frejus.fr still held. The praetorium or
Plateforme – military head-
Visibly, though not ostentatiously, quarters that formed the eastern
wealthy in history, Fréjus is one citadel – lie to the south. North
of the highlights of the coast. of the Porte des Gaules, on the
The oldest Roman city in Gaul, it road to Brignoles, stands the
was founded by Julius Caesar in large 1st–2nd-century Arènes,
49 BC and greatly expanded by built to hold 6,000 spectators,
Augustus. Lying on the Aurelian now used for music and dance.
way – a huge road built in the The spectacular Cathédrale Well in the centre of the Cathedral
reign of Augustus from Rome to St-Léonce et Cloître houses cloisters at Fréjus
Arles – it covered 40 ha (100 acres), a Musée Archéologique with
had a population of 30–40,000 finds from all around Fréjus. The resort stretches along a sandy
and, as a port, was second in Chapelle Notre-Dame, decorated beach towards St-Raphaël.
importance only to Marseille. by Cocteau, and Musée d’Histoire North of the Arènes is a Buddhist
Although substantial sections Locale are also well worth a visit. Pagoda commemorating
of the Roman city were deci- South of the Vietnamese soldiers who died
mated by the Saracens in the town is the Butte serving in the French army.
10th century, a few parts St-Antoine citadel,
of their walls remain, which once E Arènes de Fréjus
including a tower of overlooked the Rue Vadon. Tel 04 94 51 34 31.
the western Porte harbour. The canal Open Apr–Sep: Tue–Sun; Oct–Mar:
des Gaules. The linking the harbour Tue–Sat. Closed public hols. &
opposite eastern to the sea began R Cathédrale St-Léonce
entrance, the Porte de Mosaic in the Musée silting up in the 10th 58 rue du Cardinal Fleury. Tel 04 94
Rome, marks one end Archéologique in Fréjus century; by the 1700s 52 14 01. Open daily. Cloisters: daily
of a 40-km (25-mile) it was entirely filled in, (Oct–May: Tue–Sun). Closed Mon
aqueduct, the ruins of which forming Fréjus-Plage. A little (winter), public hols. & cloisters.
amble alongside the DN7 towards over 2 km (1 mile) from the 8 = ∑ cathedrale-frejus.
the Siagnole river near Mons. town’s centre, this modern monuments-nationaux.fr

Cathedrale St-Léonce et Cloître
The fortified cathedral and the The choir stalls, in two
rows, date from the
marble-columned cloister date from 15th century and are
the 12th century, while the 5th-century ornately carved.
baptistry is one of the oldest in France.
Musée
Archéologique

High altar
Renaissance
doorway
The baptistry’s eight
Corinthian columns are
The cloisters originally from a former pagan
had 2 storeys, but today Roman temple.
only one of the upper The octagonal font
galleries remains. Paintings was originally used only
cover the ceilings.
Earthenware basin to baptize adults.