Pateck round pergola and flowered staircase à Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer dans le Var

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pateck round pergola and flowered staircase were built in 1925 in Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, as part of the development of the Rayol subdivision. This pedestrian path, linking the top of the subdivision to the sea, consists of straight flights with factories (such as the round pergola and a fountain) and plantations. The low-rise walls of the Moors, decorated with terracotta vases, and the reinforced concrete pergola worn by stone columns illustrate a neat architectural style, typical of the seaside resorts of the period.

The staircase and pergola were designed by an unidentified architect, with the aim of serving the new subdivision and providing aesthetic access to the beach. Their construction coincided with the development of the Rayol estate, initiated in 1910 by the banker Alfred-Théodore Courmes, then taken over in 1940 by industrialist Henry Potez, who strengthened the landscape. These elements, registered as historical monuments since 1989, bear witness to the urban and tourist evolution of the Corniche des Maures in the 20th century.

The site, after a period of decline in the 1970s due to projects of real estate speculation, was saved by the action of the Conservatoire du littoral and local associations. Ranked in 1994, it is now part of the Rayol estate, a remarkable garden open to the public, integrating Mediterranean landscapes from all over the world. The pergola and stairway, properties of the municipality, remain symbols of the architectural and landscape heritage of the region.

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