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63-457: Located at the base of Mont Ventoux , it is the starting point of one of the three routes to the summit of the mountain (the other routes start in Malaucène and Sault ). The Tour de France frequently uses this approach to Mont Ventoux hence the strong presence of cycling in the town. Bédoin contains a large Spanish -style church, constructed by Jesuits in 1702. In 1794, the village of Bédoin

126-498: A minute of his lead per kilometre of the ascent. The race has finished at the summit of Mont Ventoux ten times. The finish line is at 1,910 m (6,270 ft), although in 1965, 1967, 1972 and 1974 the finish was lower, at 1,895 m (6,217 ft). Three riders have won on top of the mountain, and gone on to win the Tour; Charly Gaul in 1958, Eddy Merckx in 1970 and Chris Froome in 2013. Both Merckx and Froome won while wearing

189-471: A seven-year absence. Unusually, the riders climbed the mountain on the second-to-last day of the race, on 25 July 2009, prior to transferring to Paris for the traditional parade on the Champs-Élysées . It was next featured in the 100th Tour de France in 2013 on Stage 15. In 2016 , the stage to Mont Ventoux was shortened by 6 km (3.7 mi) the day before, after a weather forecast of high winds at

252-494: A shrine to fans of cycling, who often leave small tokens of remembrance there. In 1970, Eddy Merckx rode himself to the brink of collapse while winning the stage. He received oxygen, recovered, and won the Tour. In 1994, Eros Poli , not known for his climbing ability, stole away at the beginning of the day's stage, built up a substantial time gap from the peloton, and was first over the Ventoux and eventual stage winner despite losing

315-707: Is a city on the French Riviera , famous for its 1793 siege , and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is the prefecture of the Var department. The Commune of Toulon has a population of 176,198 people (2018), making it France's 13th-largest city. It is the centre of an urban unit with 580,281 inhabitants (2018),

378-480: Is also connecting the city to Nice, Marseille and Paris. The port of Toulon is the main port of departures for ferries to Corsica . The nearest airport is the regional Toulon-Hyères Airport . The proximity of Marseille-Provence Airport located at 80 kms of the city, serving international destinations in Europe, Africa, Middle East, North America and Asia and linked to the city-center by direct trains daily offers

441-553: Is also home to a number of institutes of the University of Toulon , known until 2013 as University of the South, Toulon-Var. Toulon has a campus of KEDGE Business School . Toulon figures prominently in Victor Hugo 's Les Misérables . It is the location of the infamous prison, the bagne of Toulon , in which the protagonist Jean Valjean spends nineteen years in hard labour. Toulon is also

504-503: Is due to the wall of mountains that largely protects Toulon from the weather coming from the north. With a yearly average temperature of 16.7 °C (62 °F), it is also one of the warmest cities in metropolitan France. One distinctive feature of the Toulon climate is the wind, with 115 days a year of strong winds; usually either the cold and dry Mistral or the Tramontane from the north,

567-405: Is in a house on the waterfront near Fort St. Louis. Mount Faron (584 metres (1,916 feet)) dominates the city of Toulon. The top can be reached by cable car from Toulon or by a narrow road that ascends from the west side and descends on the east side. The road is one of the stages of the annual Paris–Nice and Tour Méditerranéen bicycle races. At the top of Mount Faron is a memorial dedicated to

630-553: Is rare but sometimes torrential; and by hot summers and mild winters. Because of its proximity to the sea, the temperature is relatively moderate. The average temperature in January, the coldest month, is 9.9 °C (50 °F), the warmest of any city in metropolitan France. In January, the maximum average temperature is 13.2 °C (56 °F). and the average minimum temperature is 6.6 °C (44 °F). The average temperature in July,

693-412: Is still speculation as to the exact cause of his death. He began to wildly weave across the road before he fell down. He was delirious and asked spectators to put him back on the bike, which he rode to within a half mile of the summit before collapsing dead, still clipped into his pedals. Amphetamines were found in his jersey and bloodstream. There is a memorial to Simpson near the summit, which has become

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756-552: Is the Porte d'Italie, one of the old city gates. Napoleon Bonaparte departed on his triumphant Italian campaign from this gate in 1796. Toulon has a number of museums. The Museum of the French Navy (Musée national de la marine) is located on Place Monsenergue, next on the west side of the old port, a short distance from the Hôtel de Ville. The museum was founded in 1814, during the reign of

819-588: Is the scene of one of the most grueling climbs in the Tour de France bicycle race, which has ascended the mountain eighteen times since 1951. The followed trail mostly passes through Bédoin. Its fame as a scene of great Tour dramas has made it a magnet for cyclists around the world. British cyclist Tom Simpson died on the mountain on 13 July 1967 from heat exhaustion caused by a combination of factors, including dehydration (caused by lack of fluid intake and diarrhea ), use of amphetamines , and alcohol , although there

882-510: Is there. The area is also home of the celebrated Provençal market , which takes place every morning on the Cours Lafayette and features local products. The old town decayed in the 1980s and 1990s, but recently many of the fountains and squares have been restored and many new shops have opened. The Old Town of Toulon is known for its fountains, found in many of the small squares, each with a different character. The original system of fountains

945-717: The Allied landings in North Africa ( Operation Torch ) the German Army occupied southern France ( Case Anton ), leading French naval officers to scuttle the French Fleet based at Toulon on 27 November 1942. The city was bombed by the Allies in November of the following year, with much of the port destroyed and five hundred residents killed. The Hôtel de Ville , centre of the administration of

1008-554: The Monts de Vaucluse , and just to the east of the Dentelles de Montmirail , its foothills. The top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees, which makes the mountain's barren peak appear from a distance to be snow-capped all year round (its snow cover actually only lasts from December to April). Its isolated position overlooking the valley of the Rhône ensures that it dominates

1071-527: The Siege of Toulon from Lewrie's perspective, as he commands a commandeered French barge carrying sea mortars against Lieutenant-Colonel Bonaparte's forces. Toulon is served by the Gare de Toulon railway station, offering suburban services to Marseille (1 train every 15 minutes during peak hours), regional services to Nice, and high speed connections to Paris, Strasburg, Luxemburg and Brussels. A daily night intercity train

1134-522: The black plague , coming from Marseille. Thirteen thousand people, or half the population, died. In 1790, following the French Revolution , Toulon became the administrative centre of the département of the Var . However, in 1793, the Jacobin administration of the city was swept from power, allowing Girondins and royalists to take their place; the city then rose up against the central administration of

1197-497: The col des tempêtes ("storm pass") just before the summit, which is known for its strong winds. In the 10th century, the names Mons Ventosus and Mons Ventorius appear. Mont Ventoux, although geologically part of the Alps , is often considered to be separate from them, due to the lack of mountains of a similar height nearby. It stands alone to the north of the Luberon range, separated by

1260-555: The 15th century, a chapel was constructed on the top and dedicated to the Holy Cross . In 1882, a meteorological station was constructed on the summit, but it is no longer in use. This observatory had been planned in 1879, along with a carriage road for access. In the 1960s, a 50-metre-tall (160 ft) telecommunications mast was built. From 1902 to 1976, the Mont Ventoux Hill Climb for car and motorcycle took place on

1323-822: The 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century. It owns works by landscape artists of Provence from the late 19th century ( Paul Guigou , Auguste Aiguier , Vincent Courdouan , Félix Ziem ), and the Fauves of Provence ( Charles Camoin , Auguste Chabaud , Louis Mathieu Verdilhan ). The contemporary collections contain works from 1960 to today representing the New Realism Movement (Arman, César, Christo , Klein, Raysse); Minimalist Art ( Sol LeWitt , Donald Judd ); Support Surface (Cane, Viallat côtoient Arnal, Buren, Chacallis) and an important collection of photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson , Dieuzaide , Edouard Boubat , Willy Ronis and André Kertész ). The Memorial Museum to

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1386-453: The 1944 Allied landings in Provence ( Operation Dragoon ), and to the liberation of Toulon. Beginning in 1678, Vauban constructed an elaborate system of fortifications around Toulon. Some parts, such as the section that once ran along the present-day Boulevard de Strasbourg, were removed in the mid-19th century so the city could be enlarged, but other parts remain. One part that can be visited

1449-630: The Emperor Napoleon. It is located today behind what was formerly the monumental gate to the Arsenal of Toulon, built in 1738. The museum building, along with the clock tower next to it, is one of the few buildings of the port and arsenal which survived Allied bombardments during World War II. It contains displays tracing the history of Toulon as a port of the French Navy . Highlights include large 18th-century ship models used to teach seamanship and models of

1512-569: The First Republic and joined the Federalist revolts . The new Federalist administration surrendered the city and its fleet to the British. French Republican forces then undertook the siege of Toulon , forcing the British to withdraw, taking a number of ships with them and destroying the rest of them. Napoleon Bonaparte served as an artillery captain during the event. To punish Toulon for its rebellion,

1575-634: The French Ambassador to Turkey to buy it, and brought it to Toulon on his ship, the Estafette . From Toulon it was taken to the Louvre . In August 1935, a year before the reign of the Popular Front , violent uprisings of the workers of the Toulon shipyards opposed the policy of austerity . This resulted in a large number of deaths and injuries; a state of emergency was imposed. During World War II, after

1638-568: The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and her battle group. The French Mediterranean Fleet is based in Toulon. Archaeological excavations, such as those at the Cosquer Cave near Marseille , show that the coast of Provence was inhabited since at least the Paleolithic era. Greek colonists came from Phocaea , Asia Minor , in about the 7th century BC and established trading depots along

1701-589: The Holy Roman Empire, and Toulon surrendered. In 1543, Francis I found a surprising new ally in his battle against the Holy Roman Empire. He invited the fleet of Ottoman Admiral Barbarossa to Toulon as part of the Franco-Ottoman alliance . The residents were forced to leave, and the Ottoman sailors occupied the town for the winter. See Ottoman occupation of Toulon . In 1646, a fleet was gathered in Toulon for

1764-680: The Landings in Provence (Mémorial du débarquement de Provence) is located on the summit of Mount Faron, this small museum, opened in 1964 by President Charles De Gaulle , commemorates the Allied landing in Provence in August 1944 with photos, weapons and models. The Museum of Natural History of Toulon and the Var (Musée d'histoire naturelle de Toulon et du Var) was founded in 1888, has a large collection of displays about dinosaurs, birds, mammals, and minerals, mostly from

1827-769: The Place de la Liberté, the Grand Hôtel, the Gardens of Alexander I, the Chalucet Hospital, the Palais de Justice, the train station, and the building now occupied by Galeries Lafayette , among others. Haussmann went on to use the same style on a much grander scale in the rebuilding of central Paris. Toulon harbour is one of the best natural anchorages on the Mediterranean and one of the largest harbours in Europe. A naval arsenal and shipyard

1890-460: The Tour de France, with Alberto Contador sealing his yellow jersey. As the name suggests ( venteux means windy in French ), it can get windy at the summit, especially with the mistral ; wind speeds as high as 320 km/h (200 mph) have been recorded. The wind blows at over 90 km/h (56 mph) for 240 days a year. The road over the mountain is often closed due to high winds, especially

1953-454: The aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle . The Museum of Old Toulon and its Region (Musée du vieux Toulon et de sa région). The Museum was founded in 1912, and contains a collection of maps, paintings, drawings, models and other artifacts showing the history of the city. The Museum of Asian Arts (Musée des arts asiatiques), in Mourillon. Located in a house with garden which once belonged to

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2016-520: The birthplace of the novel's antagonist, Javert . One portion of the wall of the old bagne, or prison, where Jean Valjean was supposedly held still stands to the right of the entrance of the Old Harbour. In Anthony Powell 's novel What's Become of Waring the central characters spend a long summer holiday in Toulon's old town. Powell himself stayed at the Hotel du Port et des Negociants on two occasions in

2079-504: The city, was completed in 1970. In 1979, the University of Toulon opened. Toulon was one of four French cities where the extreme-right Front National won the local elections in 1995. The Front National was voted out of power in 2001. The old town of Toulon, the historic centre between the port, the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Cours Lafayette, is a pedestrian area with narrow streets, small squares and many fountains. Toulon Cathedral

2142-523: The coast, including one, called Olbia, at Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre south of Hyères , to the east of Toulon. The Ligurians settled in the area beginning in the 4th century BC. In the 2nd century BC, the residents of Massalia (present-day Marseille) called upon the Romans to help them pacify the region. The Romans defeated the Ligurians and began to start their own colonies along the coast. A Roman settlement

2205-547: The early 1930s and writes in the second volume of his memoirs The naval port, with its small inner harbour, row of cafés along the rade, was quite separate from the business quarter of the town. A paddle steamer plied several times a day between this roadstead and the agreeably unsophisticated plage of Les Sablettes . Joseph Conrad 's last novel, The Rover , is also set around Toulon. The last half of Dewey Lambdin 's historical fiction novel, H.M.S. Cockerel , (the sixth novel in his Alan Lewrie naval adventure series) details

2268-546: The entire region and can be seen from a long distance away on a clear day. Although the hill was probably climbed in prehistoric times, the first recorded ascent was by Jean Buridan , who, on his way to the papal court in Avignon before the year 1334, climbed Mont Ventoux "in order to make some meteorological observations". The Italian poet Petrarch wrote a possibly fictional account of an ascent accompanied by his brother on 26 April 1336, in his Ascent of Mont Ventoux . In

2331-465: The harbour. It was once a fishing village, and then became the home of many of the officers of the French fleet. Mourillon has a small fishing port, next to a 16th-century fort, Fort Saint Louis, which was reconstructed by Vauban. In the 1970s, the city of Toulon built a series of sheltered sandy beaches in Mourillon, which today are very popular with the Toulonais and naval families. The Museum of Asian Art

2394-407: The letters addressed to Pope Leo I from the province of Arles . A Saint Cyprian , disciple and biographer of St. Cæsarius of Arles , is also mentioned as a Bishop of Toulon. His episcopate, begun in 524, had not come to an end in 541; he converted to Catholicism two Visigothic chiefs, Mandrier and Flavian, who became anchorites and martyrs on the peninsula of Mandrier. As barbarians invaded

2457-529: The major Battle of Orbetello , also known as the Battle of Isola del Giglio, commanded by France's first Grand Admiral, the young Grand Admiral Marquis of Brézé, Jean Armand de Maillé-Bréze of 36 galleons, 20 galleys, and a large complement of minor vessels. This fleet carried aboard an army of 8,000 infantry and 800 cavalry and its baggage under Thomas of Savoy, shortly before a general in Spanish service. King Louis XIV

2520-463: The mountain. In road bicycle racing , the mountain can be climbed by three routes. Every year there are amateur races to climb the mountain as quickly and often as possible in 24 hours, the Ventoux Masterseries and "Les Cinglés du Mont Ventoux". On 16 May 2006, Jean-Pascal Roux from Bédoin broke the record of climbs in 24 hours, with eleven climbs, all of them from Bédoin. Mont Ventoux

2583-496: The ninth largest in France by population. Toulon is the second-largest French city by urban area on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille . Toulon is an important centre for naval construction, fishing, wine making, and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, armaments, maps, paper, tobacco, printing, shoes, and electronic equipment. The military port of Toulon is the major naval centre on France's Mediterranean coast, home of

Bédoin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-399: The north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme . At 1,910 m (6,270 ft), it is the highest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Beast of Provence", the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald Mountain". It has gained fame through its inclusion in the Tour de France cycling race; in 2009 it was the scene of the first penultimate-day mountain top finish in

2709-545: The oak trees. Toulon harbour became a shelter for trading ships, and the name of the town gradually changed from Telo to Tholon, Tolon, and Toulon. Toulon was Christianized in the 5th century, and the first cathedral built. Honoratus and Gratianus of Toulon (Gratien), according to the Gallia Christiana , were the first bishops of Toulon , but Louis Duchesne gives Augustalis as the first historical bishop. He assisted at councils in 441 and 442 and signed in 449 and 450

2772-514: The region and Roman power crumbled, the town was frequently attacked by pirates and the Saracens . In 1486, Provence became part of France. Soon afterwards, in 1494, Charles VIII of France , with the intention of making France a sea power on the Mediterranean, and to support his military campaign in Italy, began constructing a military port at the harbor of Toulon. His Italian campaign failed, and in 1497,

2835-422: The region. The Hôtel des arts was opened in 1998, presents five exhibits a year of works by well-known contemporary artists. Featured artists have included Sean Scully , Jannis Kounellis , Claude Viallat , Per Kirkeby , and Vik Muniz . Toulon is subtropical, featuring a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa), characterised by abundant and strong sunshine, dry summers, and rain which

2898-495: The roads of the Mont. Originally forested, Mont Ventoux was systematically stripped of trees from the 12th century onwards to serve the demands of the shipbuilders of the naval port of Toulon . Some areas have been reforested since 1860 with a variety of hardwood trees (such as holm oaks and beeches ) as well as coniferous species, such as Atlas cedars and larches . A little higher, junipers are common. The mountain comprises

2961-533: The rulers of Genoa , who controlled commerce on that part of the Mediterranean, blockaded the new port. In 1524, as part of his longtime battle against Emperor Charles V and the Holy Roman Empire , King François I of France completed a powerful new fort, the Tour Royale, Toulon , at the entrance of the harbour. However, a few months later the commander of the new fort sold it to the commander of an Army of

3024-461: The son and later the grandson of author Jules Verne , the museum contains a small but interesting collection of art objects, many donated by naval officers from the time of the French colonization of Southeast Asia. It includes objects and paintings from India, China, Southeast Asia, China Tibet and Japan. The Museum of Art (Musée d'art) was created in 1888, and contains collections of modern and contemporary art, as well as paintings of Provence from

3087-517: The species boundary or ecotone between the flora and fauna of northern and southern France. Some species, including various types of spiders and butterflies , are unique to Mont Ventoux. It is a good place to spot the short-toed eagle ( Circaetus gallicus ). Its biological distinctiveness was recognised by UNESCO in 1990 when the Réserve de Biosphère du Mont Ventoux was created, protecting an area of 810 square kilometres (200,150 acres) on and around

3150-446: The summit eight times. In 1951, the approach to the summit was from Malaucène . In 2021, the first ascent was from Sault , whilst the second was from Bédoin . In all other years, the approach has been from Bédoin . The climb by bike from Bédoin to Mont Ventoux is one of the toughest in professional cycling. The figure for the average gradients per kilometre can be found in many books and websites on cycling. The average gradient of

3213-459: The summit. The stage then finished at Chalet Reynard at 1,435 m (4,708 ft), with approximately 10 km (6 mi) of ascent up the mountain. This stage also featured a motorcycle-induced crash which damaged Chris Froome 's bike, prompting him to jog some 100 metres up the mountain until he was able to get a neutral service bike (as his team car was too far back at the time), which did not fit him properly. The race has also crossed

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3276-454: The surrounding region regarding the challenges of skiing the mountain: Qui skie au Ventoux, skie partout (If you can ski Ventoux, you can ski anywhere). Toulon Toulon ( UK : / ˈ t uː l ɒ̃ / , US : / t uː ˈ l oʊ n , - ˈ l ɔː n , - ˈ l ɒ n / , French: [tulɔ̃] ; Provençal : Tolon (classical norm) , Touloun (Mistralian norm) , pronounced [tuˈlun] )

3339-452: The total climb and also the average gradients per kilometre differ slightly, depending on the source of the information. Accurate measurements result in an average gradient for the total climb of 7.43%, based on a horizontal distance of 21.765 km (13.524 mi) and an ascent of 1,617 m (5,305 ft). The actual distance ridden is 21.825 km (13.561 mi). The average gradients in each kilometre are as follows: Mont Ventoux

3402-569: The town lost its status as department capital and was briefly renamed Port-la-Montagne , after The Mountain faction. During the Napoleonic Wars , from 1803 until 1805 a British fleet led by Admiral Horatio Nelson blockaded Toulon. In 1820, the statue which became known as the Venus de Milo was discovered on the Greek island of Milo and seen by a French naval officer, Emile Voutier. He persuaded

3465-451: The warmest month, is 24.7 °C (76 °F), with an average maximum of 29.5 °C (85 °F). and an average minimal temperature of 19.9 °C (68 °F). According to data collected by Météo-France , Toulon is the second city (after Marseille ) in metropolitan France with the most sunshine per year: an average of 2,854.1 hours a year from 1991 to 2020, compared with 2,695 hours a year for Nice and 2,472 hours for Perpignan. This

3528-601: The wet Marin ; or the Sirocco sometimes bearing reddish sand from Africa; or the wet and stormy Levant from the east. (See Winds of Provence .) The windiest month is January, with an average of 12.5 days of strong winds. The least windy month is September, with 7 days of strong winds. Toulon has a conservatory ( Conservatoire TPM , part of Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Toulon ) which taught music, theater, dance and circus and an art academy called École supérieure d'art et de design Toulon Provence Méditerranée . Toulon

3591-456: The yellow jersey, maintaining the overall lead until Paris. Gaul was not in yellow when he won on the Ventoux, nor did he immediately gain the maillot jaune following the victory, Gaul only taking the overall lead of the tour several stages later. In September 2008, it was announced by Claude Haut, the president of the Vaucluse province, that in 2009 the Tour de France would visit Mont Ventoux after

3654-460: Was built in 1599, and a small sheltered harbour, the Veille Darse, was built in 1604–1610 to protect ships from the wind and sea. The shipyard was greatly enlarged by Cardinal Richelieu , who wished to make France a Mediterranean naval power. Further additions were made by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and Vauban . Le Mourillon is a small seaside neighbourhood to the east of Toulon, near the entrance of

3717-464: Was built in the late 17th century; most were rebuilt in the 18th or early 19th century and have recently been restored. The upper town, between the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the railway station, was built in the mid-19th century under Louis Napoleon . The project was begun by Georges-Eugène Haussmann , who was prefect of the Var in 1849. Improvements to the neighbourhood included the Toulon Opera ,

3780-484: Was destroyed by the Revolutionaries and 66 people were executed. This Vaucluse geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux ( French: [mɔ̃ vɑ̃tu] ; Provençal : Ventor [venˈtu] ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France , located some 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Carpentras , Vaucluse . On

3843-574: Was determined to make France a major sea power. In 1660, his Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert ordered Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban to build a new arsenal and to fortify the town. In 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession , Toulon successfully resisted a siege by the Imperial Army led by Duke Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia of Savoy and Prince Eugene . However, in 1720, the city was ravaged by

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3906-456: Was founded at the present location of Toulon, with the name Telo Martius – Telo, either for the local god of springs Telo or from the Latin tol , the base of the hill – and Martius , for the god of war. Telo Martius became one of the two principal Roman dye manufacturing centres, producing the purple colour used in imperial robes, made from the local sea snail called murex , and from the acorns of

3969-418: Was used as the first checkpoint in the 2015 Transcontinental Race , which is a non-stop, unsupported bicycle race across Europe. There are two small ski stations on the mountain: "Mont Serein" on the north side, and "Chalet Reynard" on the south. High winds and the modest elevation tend to limit the ski season. Weather conditions are such that the northern slope is often icy, leading to a saying among people of

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