Travel Guide The Ferres

You have to arrive by car on the scenic D1 road to discover Les Ferres in its almost severe mountain village splendor. A fortified village of 92 souls, huddled behind its ancient walls, dominated by a rocky bar, the Barre de Saint-Michel, which rises to 792 m. The village was built around the Castrum de Ferris and grew up on the slopes of Mont Saint-Michel, with the Cheiron forests all around, as if to protect it. The environment is mountainous, but the colors are Mediterranean. A glance at the facades reveals shutters painted green and blue. The massive bell tower of Saint-Jacques church dominates the tiled roofs. The village of Les Ferres is a delight to explore. It's a pleasure to get lost in this labyrinth of picturesque alleyways that have seen the centuries pass by, to enter under ancient covered passageways that lead to other alleyways, to take a staircase that turns out to be a dead end, to turn around and discover a fountain, a little square, a house covered with Virginia creeper. A terrace planted with plane trees offers beautiful views over the valley and surrounding countryside. The square in front of the recently renovated Saint-Jacques church, with its new stained-glass windows, is where the village's social heart beats.A little history. Castrum de Ferris was first mentioned in the 12th century. In 1325, the priory of Les Ferres was added to that of La Rocca (now La Roque-en-Provence). From 1388, the seigneury passed from the County of Provence to the County of Nice, then to several families: the Laugiers, the Dragos, the Balbis and the Ricci, who were the last lords. In 1747, French volunteers were present in the village during the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1760 (Treaty of Turin), the village of Les Ferres, along with the neighboring communes of Conségudes, Bouyon and La Roque-en-Provence, returned to the kingdom of France. The Estéron river became the natural border between France and the county of Nice. After the Revolution, 1,500 men of the Grasse and St-Paul National Guards camped at Les Ferres before the battle of Gilette. The village, which had 300 inhabitants at the end of the 19th century, had 36 by 1990, and around 100 today.