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Origin and history

The church of Saint-François-d'Assise is a simultaneous church located in Port Grimaud, on the commune of Grimaud, in the Var. It is distinguished by its ecumenical vocation, welcoming both Catholic and Protestant cults. Its architecture is inspired by the fortified churches of Camargue, especially that of Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer, while its gargoyles recall those of the church Saint-Geniès de Martigues. The first stone was laid on 2 November 1969 by Bishop Gilles Barthe, Bishop of Toulon, in the presence of the President of the Regional Council of the Reformed Church.

The church was inaugurated in July 1973 and became the property of the residents of the lake town of Port Grimaud. Its management is entrusted to an ecumenical council composed equally of Catholics and Protestants, supplemented by a representative of the co-owners. The interior is characterized by a nave of 29 meters long and a unique window of Yvaral, representing the phases of the sun. The altar and the ambon, made of Estaillades stone, add to its originality.

François Spoerry, architect and founder of Port Grimaud, rests in a vault located in the church since his death in 1999. The bronze bell, supported by a wrought iron campanile, dominates the tower of 16 meters, accessible by a spiral staircase of 96 steps. The church is animated on the Protestant side by the United Protestant Church Var-Est, which also supervises other temples in the region, such as those of Saint Raphael, Saint-Tropez and Draguignan.

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