Old Biot

A village of Templars, potters and glassblowers

Local name: Biot — Place des Arcades

Collection: Around Cannes · France · Open in OpenStreetMap

The story

Before you is Place des Arcades, the heart of old Biot. In 1209 the Count of Provence gave these lands to the Knights Templar, and their seat was here. Some of the arches probably date from the thirteenth or fourteenth century. After the order was crushed in 1307, Biot passed to the Hospitallers and the bishop of Grasse. In 1387 the village was laid waste and became a den of bandits. In 1470 King René invited about fifty families from the Oneglia valley, between Genoa and Ventimiglia, and freed them from taxes for twenty-five years. The church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine on the square was rebuilt in the fifteenth century. It holds an altarpiece from the same period, attributed to Louis Bréa. Biot became famous for its clay: from the sixteenth century, thousands of large jars were shipped from here through the port of Antibes all over the Mediterranean. And in 1956 the master Éloi Monod invented bubble glass here. It is still blown at the Biot glassworks nearby.

Visiting

The old village is open for walks at any time. At the Verrerie de Biot (Chemin des Combes) you can watch the glassblowers for free, with no booking: September to June, 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00; July and August, 10:00–19:00; shorter hours on Sundays and holidays. Closed on December 25, January 1 and from January 15 to 27. Hours are best checked on biot-tourisme.com and verreriebiot.com.

On the way

• Nice → Cannes
• Cannes → Antibes

Photos

Sources

• Office de Tourisme de Biot — The history of Biot
• Office de Tourisme de Biot — À la découverte du patrimoine : chemin historique et géologique (PDF)
• Ministère de la Culture, base Mérimée — Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Biot (PA00080668)
• La Verrerie de Biot
• La Verrerie de Biot — Visiter

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