Last modified: 2003-07-12 by ivan sache
Keywords: alpes-maritimes | castillon |
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Castillon is a village of 282 inhabitants (1999 census).
In the XIIth century, the municipal consuls of Sospel, then the
second most important city in the area after Nice, built
fortifications to protect the city from the Lombard and Sarracen
attacks. The village of Castillon (Castiglione,
Castillionum) was built within these fortifications, which
were later suppressed. Due to its strategical location on the road
between Menton and Sospel, the village was trashed during the
Austro-Sardinian wars, and rebuilt below the remains of the medieval
castle.
In February 1886, an earthquake destroyed again the village, which
was once again rebuilt slightly downhill from its original location.
During the winter 1944-1945, Castillon was once again completely
destroyed by the bombings required to open the road to the plateau of
Authion, where enemy troops resisted until April 1945.
In 1951, war damages allowed to rebuild Castillon. To avoid
desertification and abandon of the village, its inhabitants founded
in 1989 an artists' village called Les Arcades du Serre, where
symposiums on sculpture are organized every summer.
Ivan Sache, 19 April 2003
The flag of Castillon is vertically divided blue-red, according to a picture taken by Dominique Cureau:
Ivan Sache, 19 April 2003