Flassans s/Issole

It was during the first half of the year 1000 that dwellings began to assemble around the feudal fortress, creating what is today called Vieux-Flassans. At the end of the 11th century, the castle on a hill looking down on the Issole river became the property of the De Ponteves family: devout Catholics, who played a major role in the Wars of Religion by rallying many lords from the surrounding area to their cause.
The burg came down to the plain between the 16th and 17th centuries, becoming established near the Issole river. A site was chosen on raised ground, to avoid flooding from the river, and a second, unfortified castle was built on this small hill. The Flassans down on the plain is the town we know today.
Remnants of this rich past include the ruins of the feudal castle, sitting high above the surrounding countryside. In the village centre by the Issole, a hump-back bridge and a restored 17th-century oil mill stand beside a shady square, where it is always pleasant to linger and enjoy the pure air or Flatus Sanus - the Latin name of Flassans.