Valbonne : virtual visit of the village

Valbonne is named after the founding of the Abbey of St. Mary, in the 12th century, on the grounds of an isolated and desert valley of the Sartoux territory that will become "Vallisbona" (the good valley). Valbonne was part of the 15 abbeys and priories of the monastic order of Chalais, an order found in the former provinces of Dauphiné and Provence (in south east of France). This order was created a century earlier by a rule close to that of the Cistercians. At the disintegration of this order in the late 13th century, Sainte Marie of Valbonne is competed by Avignon and Grasse. The pope himself must decide this case, old for almost 50 years, by giving Valbonne to the Abbey of Lerins.

In the late middle ages, plague, drought and barbarian invasions decimated and scare away the few people in surrounding villages, leaving the territories of the abbey ruined. To put back in value the lands of the abbey, Augustin of Grimaldi, Bishop of Grasse and abbot of Lerins takes the lead in the 16th century to create a village near the Abbey. The architecture used contrast with those of surrounding villages. It is based on the concept of Roman rectangular plan involving the central street, the street perpendicular and the central square. For defensive reasons, the "house walls" did not have doors on the outside.

The village will remain rural until the mid-20th century. The creations of the university, scientific, technological and residential district of Sophia-Antipolis, built largely on the forest of Valbonne, have transformed the region. Today almost 1,200 companies have settled, inccluding 900 on the commune of Valbonne Sophia Antipolis. This allowed the creation of 22,000 direct jobs in research organizations both public and private. The main areas of activity include health sciences, information, telecommunication and multimedia. Sophia Antipolis welcomes about 4000 students (3rd cycles of universities, colleges and preparatory classes).

Reportage sur l’Exposition "Germination" réalisée par Marie-José Armando, céramique et Sophie Losson, dessin et technique mixte et organisée par l’association "Art Tisse" qui gère également l’artothèque de Valbonne.