AURELIAN VILLA
FREJUS

The Villa Aurélienne in the heart of Fréjus is one of only two Palladian residences in France. This building is part of the town's heritage.

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Summary

History of the Villa Aurelienne
Walk in the Aurelian Park
Roman aqueduct of Mons
Program of exhibitions and events
Aurelian Nights Festival
Visit the Villa during the exhibitions
Access
Opening hours of the Villa and the Park :
Tariff
Useful links

Come and discover the history, the program of events organized in 2023: photo exhibitions, sculptures ...

History of the Villa Aurelienne

The Villa Aurelienne, a huge 1,700m2 residence, was built in 1889 by the architect Lacreusette for Crossman.
This residence is located to the north-east of Fréjus at the top of a hill, between the Reyran Valley and the Valescure Valley.
A luxurious villa in the Palladian style, it has passed through many eras and owners.
The last owner was the Schweisguth family in 1913. Charles de Gaulle visited it on several occasions.

The villa has been renovated in the Italian Renaissance style and is now listed as a historical monument in the city.

It is nicknamed Château Aurélien because of its proximity to the ancient road, via Aurélia, which linked Rome to Arles along the course of the river Argent.

Walk in the Aurelian Park

22 hectares of greenery surround the Villa Aurélienne. Discover a Mediterranean type of vegetation. Several plants are to be seen like:

Umbrella pines
Cedars
Broom
Cistus
Arbutus trees
Myrtles
Roses

Rare species are housed in the park: the Peruvian Scilla, the Acanthus, the Naples Cyclamen, the Amaryllis belladonna, the Freezia, the carpet of botanical Iris or the collection of wild orchids...

A space dedicated to the cultivation of bouquet flowers is also to be discovered.
This bouquet garden reveals its most beautiful species and scents of flowers.

Finally, there is a play area for the little ones in the park.
To allow the youngest to have fun and enjoy the park to the full.

There are rules to follow when you are in this preserved place:

Use only roads or trails to protect the vegetation
Do not pick the flowers
No picnic allowed

The Aurelian Park hosts various events:

The Plant Festival
Sports events
Educational meetings

Roman aqueduct of Mons

In the Aurelian Park, discover the Roman aqueduct which stretches over 40 km. Built in the 1st century AD, it supplies water to the city of Fréjus. Mostly composed of an underground part, it finally comes out of the ground up to the ramparts in the Parc Aurélien.

Program of exhibitions and events

Exhibitions

While waiting for the 2023 program, discover the 2022 program:

From 5 July: Exhibition on the exodus of the French from Algeria
September: Photo exhibition of the adventurer TED flying around the world in a microlight
Month of October: The photography festival: 130 photographers exhibit
Month of November: Exhibition of contemporary art represented by different artists and media: photos, paintings and sculptures will be exhibited.

Aurelian Nights Festival

From July 19 to 28, 2022: the Nuits Auréliennes festival takes place
On the program
July 19, 21, 23, 26 and 28 at the Théâtre Romain
Two comedians for 1h15 of laughter.
Download the program here

Visit the Villa during the exhibitions

The Villa Aurelienne is only open during exhibitions.

Discover its neoclassical façade in pale yellow, imitating the Chiericato Palace in Vicenza.
When you enter the Villa Aurelian you will go through the different rooms accompanied by a guide.

The ground floor is built around a central hall with an inner courtyard from which a monumental staircase decorated with statues leads off.
The inner courtyard gives access to various rooms in the villa.
There is a dining room, a music room and a library where meetings and events are held.
Some rooms have marble fireplaces.

On the first floor, the south side is reserved for exhibitions. Exhibitions featuring different artists and arts take place throughout the year. Feel free to take a look at the current exhibitions during your visit.
The numerous exhibitions of photographs enabled the Villa Aurelienne to be awarded the Label Arts Plastique in 2000.
It is awarded by the Culture Department of the Var General Council.

The western part has been converted into a private apartment, allowing guests from the town of Fréjus to be received.