La Penne – Historic Sites and Landscape

La Penne offers several distinct points of interest to help plan your trip: a landscape with notable elevations, historic artworks and buildings, and archaeological traces. If you are considering the village as a destination, these themes can help you choose the focus of your stay. La Penne is generally reached from Puget-Théniers via the Col de Saint-Raphaël.

Landscape and Orientation

The area of La Penne lies at an altitude of between 520 m and 1,208 m. There is a separate figure for the village centre: it is at 800 m and overlooks extensive meadows that continue to support significant sheep farming. The elevations help put the landscape into perspective: 520 to 1,208 m refers to the area, while 800 m indicates the location of the village centre. Forest dominates to the north and south, and numerous small streams run through the area. Elevations, forest, meadows and streams are all landscape features to keep in mind when planning your trip.

Art, Church and Chapel

The Église Saint Pierre houses two artworks from different periods. The wall fresco dates from 1530. The painting “Le Voeu de Louis XIII” by François Mimault was created in 1639 and classified on 5 December 1908. To understand the chronology, it is worth distinguishing between the dates of creation and the later classification: 1530 and 1639 date the artworks, while 1908 refers to the painting’s classification.

The Notre Dame du Plan Chapel has a different history: it dates from the 11th century and was built on the foundations of an ancient Roman temple. The chapel offers a view of the village of La Penne. The church and chapel thus offer different points of interest: the Église Saint Pierre is home to dated artworks, while Notre Dame du Plan brings together a medieval date, ancient foundations and a view of the village.

Archaeological Traces and Discovery Trail

The La Baisse de Roccaforte discovery trail starts at the car park in the square in La Penne. Check trail conditions locally before setting off. Pierre d’Uriel, also known as the Stèle de la Penne, stands to the left of the entrance, against the cemetery wall. The rectangular monument has a triangular pediment above two panels. The remains of a former village dating from the 11th century have also been preserved on the Roccaforte ridge. These archaeological points of interest range from a single monument to the remains of an earlier settlement.

Festival Date and Local Products

The Saint-Roch patronal festival takes place every year on the weekend of 15 August; the exact dates may vary from year to year. The programme includes a mass, aubades for the local population, dances and speeches. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for your travel year before booking.

Espèci d’aquí sells local spice blends, plants for herbal teas, aromatic herbs, gemmotherapy extracts and fruit juices. Products are sold at markets, directly from the farm and by order. Check the available sales options before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Menton, Roubion, Les Ferres, Fontan, Châteauneuf-Grasse, La Trinité, Clans, Tourrette-Levens

For the regional travel overview: Alpes-Maritimes.