Perched on the side of a hill between the sea and the mountains, and set in picturesque Provençal countryside, Fayence is rated highly by tourists. It has a southerly climate, charming old streets, warm and welcoming inns emitting the aromas of Provence, and even some relics of times past.

 

Fayence is also well known for its gliding center (the top in Europe), where competitions are held ( The International Open Air Plane Gliding).
 

The Saracen invasions devastated Fayence, leaving the town deserted, although the Monks of Lérins had an important convent here (at the Notre-Dame-des-Cyprès) from the 11th century on. In the 12th century, Alphonse 1st d'Aragon gave the fief of Fayence to the bishops of Fréjus.

 

In the 1391, Turenne destroyed the village of Callian, 5 km to the east, and the fleeing people came to Fayence, repopulated it for the first time since the Saracens had passed through. In the 18th century, Monsignor de Fleury decided the château of Fayence was too expensive and useless, and had it destroyed.

 

If you travel along the D562 between Draguignan and Grasse, you'll see Fayence perched on a hill top to the north, surveying the plains to the south. Fayence was a fortified town and, in spite of its size, it has kept the charm of its medieval origins. This is a center for tourists and visitors, with plenty of hotels, garages, and shops.

 

In the spirit of Beyond, you can consider it a gateway to the more isolated interior. North of Fayence, the D563 road goes through oak-forested hills to Mons, and beyond to the Route Napoléon.