Some hints for your visit to France

Visit CASSIS and the Creeks

Cassis history and art, Cassis and the sea, the wine of Cassis

information about the city of Cassis

Cassis is built in amphitheater in seaside between the Cape Canaille and the Creeks.
The ocher color of the impressive cliffs of the Cape Canaille, highest of France (363 m in the Cape Canaille, 394 m with the Grande tête) is opposed to whiteness Solid mass Creeks. These two classified natural sites, count among most beautiful of the Mediterranean coastline.

Cassis : history and art

Cassis was initially a Roman port called “Carsicis Portus/Cassitis”, which seems to have disappeared in second half of the Veme century of our era. It's only into 1214 that the name reappears. The inhabitants are then gathered around the castle. Stronghold of the family of the Baux to the Middle Ages, parish detached of Roquefort since 1443, the latter is yielded to XVeme century with the bishops of Marseille.

In the city, one still locates some houses of XVIeme and XVIIeme centuries (doors, windows). The Notre-Dame de l'Espérance Vault is of 1700 as for the Church Saint-Michel, built in 1860, it takes again a church of the XVIIeme century.

The historical Cassis core has an identity and a character originals which one can discover by districts: the port, the district of the fishermen and his maze of alleys and staircases, the residential district and its beautiful houses of XVIeme and XVIIeme centuries.   top page

A walk is essential to discover the many buildings and details of architecture, as the Castle which would have been built with the Middle Ages and belonged to the family of the Baux in 1381. A rectilinear rampart with square towers delimits the surface of a strengthened city of 4850 m2. It dominates the city, “posed” above a cliff of marnes blue of the Cretaceous, very interesting geological site. It is a private residence today (not visit). The Town hall, superb private mansion of the XVIIeme century (about 1625) which made build Désiré de Moustiers, former consul of Marseille with his caladée court (paved rollers), its staircase great century, its living room of honor with chimney of time, and its medieval basement, visible under flagstones of glass with the reception. The “Cassis House”, old presbytery of the XVIIIeme century, it shelters the municipal Museum Méditerranéen of Arts and Popular Traditions. The Mascarons House, typical of the residences of the XVIIIeme century, it obeys the rule of three (3 stages, 3 windows). Wrought iron transom. The Ariana Villa, elegant residence of a former vigneronne family, XIXeme century, with its garden of Greek style with amphitheater and basin with the water lilies. She shelters charming it library of the city which has interesting funds of regional works. Prud' homy or Court of fishing, obtained brave fight in 1791 against the Marseille supervision. The fitted latticework on niche, in frontage protects a statue from Saint Pierre carried in procession at the time of the traditional festival of the fishermen in June.   top page

Henri Cosquer, diver cassidain, discovered in 1991 an underwater cave in an exceptional state of conservation. The scientists could attest that this cave was attended at two distinct periods. The hands into negative go back to approximately 27.000 years, whereas the drawings and engravings of animals are more recent: 18.500 years.
For safety reasons, the cave is closed with the public.   top page

Cassis and sea

Marinas Cassis has of a port and an anchorage in the creek of Port-Miou. It accommodates three activities: pleasure with 500 rings including 30 for the reception of the boats of passage, fishing, and the boatmen for mini-cruisings in the Creeks.

Creeks

Only that of Port-Miou is on the commune of Cassis. Port-Pin and En Vau, very close, are already Marseille. But the language running always speaks about the “Cassis Creeks”, which are the privileged main door…   top page

The Cap Canaille and the road of the peaks

On a short portion of littoral between Cassis and La Ciotat, the mountain of Canaille overhangs the sea in the impressive cliffs, highest of Europe: 362 meters with the Cap Canaille, 399 meters with the Grande Tête.   top page

The littoral and the beaches

11 km of coasts including 800 m of beaches (supervised beaches: large Sea, Bestouan).

Cassis and wine

At the beginning, in 600 before Jesus Christ, they are the Greeks who introduce the culture of the vine and bring their techniques of wine making, in Provence. During the 3 following centuries, marked by peace and prosperity, the vineyard saw true old of gold. Then, it is completely abandoned during the cruel invasions, which oblige the populations to take refuge on the heights, forsaking the cultures. It reappears at the XVIIeme century with the rise of the maritime trade.
In 1865 will come the darkest hours. Devastation the vineyard of Provence will entirely phylloxera. The epidemic will be stop in particular to the contribution of Clerc's Offices of the United States.
The Cassidains wine growers will engage with Châteauneuf du Pape Sauternes and Arbois to create a quality control mark: the Name of Controlled origin, which they will obtain since 1936.

The Cassidain vineyard is exclusively planted, on the commune of Cassis, with the shelter of the Cape Canaille, plunging a height of almost 400 meters in the floods of the Mediterranean. It is a “vineyard of pocket”, only 196 hectares for a production from approximately 1 Million bottles per annum. A bottle for a vine.
The limitation of the quantities of production to the profit of an special attention and constant of quality confers on the Cassis wine, its character race and invaluable. A rare wine which is raised and distributed by twelve vine growers. If the white, dry and fruity, are most famous, the reds and the rosy ones are also recognized.

With its image of village, its typical and coloured fishing port, its imposing landscapes, Cassis illustrate a true softness of living, and that will be all the more true if one lets oneself try by savors of a rich and famous soil.   top page

Thanks at the department of communication of the town of Cassis

for its assistance with the realization of this text and for the photos which illustrate it.

TO KNOW

You need more information about the city of Cassis, contact: info@itinerairesbis.com

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