Belgentier forms the gateway to the green Gapeau Valley along the RD 554; the coastal river Gapeau runs through the town. Located on the Gapeau is the 2.5-hectare Parc Peiresc, an area recognised as an Espace Naturel Sensible.
History
Louis XIV stayed in Belgentier on 20 February 1660 during his pilgrimage to Cotignac, spending the night at Château Peiresc and attending Mass the following morning, 21 February.
Château Peiresc is a 17th-century residence classified as a Monument Historique. It housed a cabinet of curiosities recalling the artistic and literary tastes of the scholar and humanist Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc. The façade of Château Peiresc is visible from Rue Peiresc; the garden and interior can only be visited during the Heritage Days.
Culture
Notre-Dame de l’Assomption is a 17th-century church with a Renaissance dome and historic furnishings; it is listed in the register of Monuments Historiques. A fresco created by Michel Deguil in 1992 on its western façade depicts the stay of Louis XIV and his entourage in Belgentier.
The Maison du Patrimoine presents a permanent exhibition of objects, tools and photographs illustrating Belgentier’s past.
The washhouse at Rayol has a channel that brought water from the river.
Since 1930, the La Belgentiéroise olive cooperative has been known in the region for table olives, including the Belgentiéroise olive named after it.
Nature
The Plateau de Siou Blanc extends across four municipalities, including Belgentier and Solliès-Toucas; marked paths lead through pine forests, rocks, garrigue and wooded areas. The Aiguilles de Valbelle are natural monuments formed by erosion over thousands of years in the plateau’s dolomitic rock.
Activities
The Circuit des Aiguilles de Valbelle is a marked 10-kilometre circular route with orange markings and a stated duration of 240 minutes. It can be used by mountain bike and on horseback.
Parc Peiresc offers fitness equipment, children’s playgrounds, a boules court and access for anglers. In the centre of Belgentier, near Parc Peiresc, there is a section of a trout fishing stretch with a no-kill policy that is regularly used by passionate anglers. The trout fishing stretch in Belgentier belongs to the first fishing category.
Those choosing Belgentier as a holiday destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment for their stay.
Other destinations: Tourtour, Le Castellet, Chateaudouble, Le Cannet-Des-Maures, Carnoules, Mazaugues, La Motte, Fayence
