About Valbonne

The village of Valbonne sits in the center of a vast residential area spread through the surrounding woods. This area outside the village includes luxury villas, housing estates for the nearby Sophia Antipolis high-tech park and homes of the old-time generations of Valbonnais.

The old village, which has a large Anglophone population, has retained much of its 16th-century character, though mixed with an active town atmosphere. In contrast to the twisty little streets in the hundreds of other medieval villages of Beyond, Valbonne village is laid out in neat, symmetrical rectangles planned by the Abbot of Lerins, following the layout of Roman cities.

In the center of the village is the very lovely, 16th-century Place des Arcades. This central square is surrounded on all four sides by picturesque arcades, café terraces and little shops. The arcade at the "Hotel Les Armoiries" is engraved with a stone as "1628". Unfortunately, and unnecessarily, the square is also a parking lot for about 10 cars; not enough to be useful, but enough to spoil the view and the character of the square.

Dispersed through the little streets are more shops and a few, well-respected restaurants here and there. Our favorite is the Cadran Solaire on the rue Eugène Giraud (tel: (33) 493 12 13 30). For lunch or Sunday brunch try the Comptoir du Sud on rue Gambetta, at the edge of the old town.

At the bottom of the village, across the street below the rectangle of the center, is the 12th-century Eglise Saint Blaise, the attached Chalaisien Abbey (or "Ancien Couvent Chalaisien"), the Moulin des Moines (now a restaurant), and a very ancient-looking carved-stone monument. The Couvent Abbey is now being restored (June 1996), and is looking very smart.

Beside the village to the west, across the street, is a new, little shopping complex and a parking lot. It has at least one restaurant, newspaper shop, food and produce shops, and the post office is at the far end of the parking lot.

Bibliothéque (library)

The Valbonne bibliothéque is open to all, and the hours are:
Wed: 1700-1900 summer; 1600-1800 winter
Fri: 1000-1200
Sat: 1000-1200; 1700-1900 summer; 1600-1800 winter

The Valbonne Cinema is at the Espace Vignasse, in the village; tel: (33) 493 12 91 88

Museums & Sites

Le Musée du Patrimoine

"Le Vieux Valbonne" (Was called the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires)

Location: In the Couvent Chalaisien, beside the church at the bottom of the village

Open: Tue-Sun. Oct-May 14h-18h; June-Sept 15h-19h

Closed: Monday

Entry: 2 €; under 12 free

Tel: 0493 129 654

Email: le_vieux-valbonne@abbyvalb.org

Web: www.abbyvalb.org

Guided visits of the abbey by rendez vous: tel 0493 129 654 (during open hours)

History

Name
First record, 1200: Monasterium Vallisbone (Monastery of the "Bonne" Valley).

Prehistoric: There are numerous vestiges of prehistoric habitation.

Gallo-Roman: A Roman aqueduct is at Clausonnes, near the autoroute (now, not then) southeast of Sophia Antipolis.

Medieval:On the day of Saint Blaise, 3 Feb 1199, the Bishop of Antibes signed a charter allowing the Order of Chalais monks to build an abbey in the Valis Bona. By 1346 the Chalais order was gone, and the abbey was attached to the Abbey of Lerins. The monks of Lérin at the Abbey Chalaisien first granted an Act of Abode to allow settlement in 1519, and created the village in ints present form.