ST. RAPHAEL. 17'l 



thoughts and fccHngs, common to laumanit\', which found 

 expression and took shape in those times. 



Roman villas covered the shore on which the town 

 of St. Raphael now stands. The Roman Patricians par- 

 ticularh' favoured this beautiful district. This was their 

 l^rovincia Romana par excellence, the one to which the\' 

 referred whenever the\' spoke brieHx of "Provincia", and 

 it has retained the name of Provence. Knights Templars 

 settled on the shores of St. Raphael after the Romans, 

 and built that square tower which still seems to mount 

 guard over the old church, hi 1799 Buonapart landed 

 at this spot on his return from Egypt : and it was 

 liere also that he left the countrv in 1814 to embark 

 for Elba. 



Curious types are met with among the native popu- 

 lace. This is not surprising since the inhabitants of 

 the upper town are undoubtedh' Saracen, and those of 

 the lower chiefl^• of Genoese origin, and the^• still hold 

 aloof from each other. 



The statement that Alphonse Karr discovered St. Ra- 

 phael is not stricth" accurate as its long historic past proves, 

 but the fresh impulse which this place received ^^•as due 

 to him. He himself settled here and praised the beauties 

 of the situation so highh', both in speech and writing, 

 that other authors and artists soon followed his e.xample. 

 What thev sought and found here was a quiet, secluded 

 spot, where one could enjo\' ilowers, sunshine and sea 

 without being molested hv one's fellow men. The\' all 

 tied from the overgrown town of Nice and the formalit\- 

 of Cannes. "If I cared to live in a large town". 



