Growing flowers
Tourrettes-sur-Loup and the violet
Tourrettes-sur-Loup is the only place in France where violets are the main crop... hence the name Cité de la Violette! It was at the end of the 19th century that the commune began to specialize in this activity. Today, only the Victoria variety is grown in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. The flowers are picked between mid-October and mid-March, while the leaves are mown between early May and late July.
On the first weekend in March, the village is decked out in the colors of its star flower for "La Fête de la Violette". On the program: flower corsos, floral art workshops, bouquet composition, perfume workshops and flower cuisine, all in a Provencal atmosphere. The festival was created in 1952 by Victor Linton, an artist of Scottish origin who had settled in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, to honor the town's horticulturalists and their know-how. All year round, you can also visit the Bastide aux Violettes, a museum dedicated to Tourrettes-sur-Loup's emblematic flower, from which crystallized flowers, soaps and syrups are created.
Orange blossom in the gorges du Loup
While violets are still grown today, the same cannot be said for orange blossom. So let's go back in time. Originally, it was the Arabs who introduced the bigarade orange tree to the region as early as the 9th century. In the 16th century, orange blossom was distilled to produce perfumed oils and waters. In the 17th century, Princess Anne-Marie de La Trémoille, nicknamed "Néroli" by her friends because of her marriage to the Prince of Nérola, Flavio Orsini, gave her name to orange blossom extracts. It was she who introduced this essence to the French court.
From 1880 onwards, the cultivation of bigaradiers for orange blossom was the mainstay of the economy of the commune of Bar-sur-Loup and the hamlet of Pont-du-Loup, located between Gourdon and Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Orange trees grew on the terraces, and their blossoms were picked as early as mid-April. Two products were then extracted: Neroli essence, after distillation in copper stills, notably for the composition of perfumes. And orange blossom water, used to perfume pastries or create remedies for digestion, migraines or coughs. It was stored in dark blue glass bottles, so as not to be altered by light. Orange tree fields disappeared at the end of the 20th century, but the memory of this era is perpetuated every Easter, with the Fête de l'Oranger at Bar-sur-Loup. A still distillation demonstration is offered, and an orange wine and bitter orange jam competition is organized.
Jasmine and Centifolia rose in Opio
Jasmine is a shrub native to India. It has adapted well to the Mediterranean region, so much so that of all the fragrant plant cultivations on the Côte d'Azur, jasmine was for a long time the most important. In our region, Opio was the most important cultivator of this fragrant little white flower. Jasmine flowers were hand-picked at dawn, between August and October. The flowers then had to be delivered to the factory within 24 hours. To obtain one kilo of absolute jasmine essence, around 7 million flowers were needed! This means that natural jasmine is expensive and reserved for luxury perfumes.
The Centifolia rose, or Rose de Mai, was widely cultivated in the region, again especially in Opio. Urban development and the boom in tourism brought about the end of this activity, which declined from 1980 onwards.
This "hundred-leaf" rose, in reference to its large number of petals, was already known in Roman times. Harvesting took place in spring, from April to June, with the dew, i.e. early in the morning. The flowers were packed in bags and used, unsurprisingly, by the perfume industry in Grasse.
Olive growing and viticulture
Olive growing
In the 18th century, olive growing was one of the region's most important economic activities. In Valbonne, for example, almost half the arable land was planted with olive trees. Between the trees, vines were grown. Then, affected by frost in certain years, parasites and colonial competition (peanut oil), the activity declined. Today, professional vineyards are located in the communes of Châteauneuf, Opio, Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Valbonne, Le Bar-sur-Loup, Le Rouret and Roquefort-les-Pins.
Growing vines
Grapevines require little water and can withstand high temperatures without damage. It is therefore an ideal plant for the region. It developed around Valbonne and Tourrettes-sur-Loup. In the early 20th century, the Servan grape variety, originally from the Southwest, was introduced to the Valbonne region. With a better yield than the olive, it quickly met with great success, so much so that by 1929, production had risen from 300 to 400 tons. The special feature of this variety is that it is harvested from mid-October to late November, after the traditional grape harvest. This late harvest consisted in cutting the bunch, keeping part of the shoot, then storing the bunch in a cool room, with the shoot soaking in a jar of water, topped up with a small piece of charcoal to prevent the water from rotting. A very special method of preservation, which allowed the grapes to age after harvesting, provided the room was aired, the water replaced regularly and damaged berries removed. In this way, the grape takes on a beautiful golden color, and acquires a fruity flavor of its own. It was sold with its vine shoot under the name of "Servant branché"
The second half of the 20th century saw the abandonment of Servant production. Today, the Vigne Communale, created by the municipality of Valbonne in 1995, perpetuates this tradition. 300 vines are harvested each year by municipal workers.
