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Origin and history

The Church of Saint-Raphaël, also known as the Church of Templars, although there is no historical link with this order, is a 12th century Roman Catholic building located in the heart of the medieval village of Saint-Raphaël (Var). It rises on a site occupied since Antiquity, as evidenced by the remains of a quadrangular building dated between the first and fifth centuries, as well as the foundations of three previous churches. A plaque of chancel of the VIII-IX centuries, re-used in construction, confirms this ancient occupation.

The church was mentioned in 1073, when the bishop of Fréjus, Bernard (or Bertrand), returned it to the abbey of Lérins, before a new transfer was made in 1095 by Bishop Béranger. For fifty years, the Lérinian monks managed it, while the bishop retained jurisdiction and an episcopal palace on site. The Red Book of the Cathedral attests to this dual spiritual and temporal power, maintained until the Revolution. A castrum (fortified town) was cited in 1190, revealing the strategic importance of the site.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the church was reinforced by defensive elements, including a tower built at the location of the southern absidiole, similar to that of the cathedral of Fréjus. Its base, restored around 1567, and the raised l'abside wall testify to these military adaptations. In the 18th century, works were undertaken to vault the first span (1765) and raise the tower to install bells. The building, a communal property, is classified as a historical monument in two stages: the church on December 20, 1907 and the tower on January 11, 1908.

Today integrated into the Archaeological Museum of Saint Raphael, the church preserves traces of its medieval and ancient past. Its central location, between Rue de la Vieille-Église and Rue des Templiers, as well as its successive transformations, reflect the evolution of the village around this religious and defensive pole, from Roman times to modern times.

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