ClasséChapel · protected 1947Chapelle Sainte-Estève (ruines)Photo: Nicolas Bergeret · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chapelle Sainte-Estève (ruines) · Photo: Nicolas Bergeret · CC BY-SA 4.08historic monuments
History of Tourves · Monuments historiques
8 historic monuments, the oldest from prehistory
The Culture ministry lists 8 historic monuments in Tourves: 4 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 4 inscrit (the second level). That’s 15 for every 10,000 residents, more per resident than 92% of compared French towns; the median compared French town has 2.5. We have photos of 6 of them.
Monuments historiques
8
15 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
4
the highest protection
Inscrit
4
the second level
Oldest part
Prehistory
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
14%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Tourves in 6 photos
Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Château de ValbelleClassé
Ferme dite La VacherieClassé
Pont situé sur le ruisseau CaramyInscrit
FontaineInscrit
OratoireInscrit+1See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
How old
How old Tourves’ monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.2
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.2
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution3
19th century 1801–19000
20th century and later since 19010
4 of 7 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: Grotte Chuchy (Prehistory). 1 monument has no date on the list.
Map
Where Tourves’ monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscrit
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
8 monuments by protection
4 Classé4 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
4 classé monuments in Tourves
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 3 of the 4 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséFarm · protected 1922Ferme dite La VacheriePart of the building is protectedPhoto: WCOMFR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChâteau · protected 1921Château de ValbellePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Rvalette · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological site · protected 1957Vestiges archéologiquesPart of the building is protected
Inscrit
4 inscrit monuments in Tourves
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
InscritBridge · protected 1937Pont situé sur le ruisseau CaramyPhoto: S.everz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Inscrit
InscritFountain · protected 1926Fontaine, place de l'Hôtel-de-VillePhoto: SiefkinDR · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cave · protected 1992Grotte Chuchy
Age of homes
14% of homes in Tourves were built before 1919
Main homes by when they were finished, beside the median compared French town (the tick).
14%
Before 1919
6.7%
1919–45
13%
1946–70
32%
1971–90
21%
1991–2005
13%
2006 on
TourvesMedian compared French town
14% of its main homes were built before 1919; the median compared French town has 7.4%. More of them were finished between 1971 and 1990 than in any other period (32%).
INSEE, census 2023: main homes (résidences principales) only; second homes and empty homes aren’t dated.
Born before 1900
3 people born in Tourves before 1900
Their lives on one line.
Joseph-Anne de Valbelle de Tourves
Paul d'Astros
Léon d'Astros
16001650170017501800185019001950
JA
Joseph-Anne de Valbelle de Tourves1648–1722 · French public official
Pd
Paul d'Astros1772–1851 · French catholic cardinal
Ld
Léon d'Astros1780–1863 · French writer
Everyone born in Tourves Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Tourves has the 2nd most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 5,200 to 5,300 residents, by historic monuments.
Tourves8
#2 of 41for monuments per resident (15 per 10,000). Most per resident: Forcalquier, Tourves and Baume-les-Dames.
The median town of these has 1. 15 of the 41 have none.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Tourves
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourves | 5,207 | 8 | 4 | — |
| Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume | 17,896 | 7 | 5 | — |
| Bras | 2,637 | 1 | 0 | — |
| La Roquebrussanne | 2,817 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Seillons-Source-d'Argens | 2,818 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Brignoles | 17,850 | 10 | 2 | Yes |
| Nans-les-Pins | 5,215 | 1 | 0 | — |
In brief
Tourves in brief
The record in Tourves starts with Grotte Chuchy, which dates from prehistory. In all there are 8 historic monuments, 4 of them classé, including Chapelle Sainte-Estève (ruines). Per resident, it has more historic monuments than 92% of compared French towns. Of its homes, 14% were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Only one of the 41 towns nearest its size has more historic monuments. Joseph-Anne de Valbelle de Tourves (1648), Paul d'Astros (1772) and Léon d'Astros (1780) were all born here before 1900. The rest is about typical: the list grew between 1921 and 1992.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Tourves
How many historic monuments are there in Tourves?
The Culture ministry lists 8 historic monuments in Tourves: 4 classé and 4 inscrit.
Which monuments in Tourves are classé?
4, among them Vestiges archéologiques, Chapelle Sainte-Estève (ruines), Ferme dite La Vacherie and Château de Valbelle.
How old are the monuments of Tourves?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from prehistory.
When were monuments in Tourves first protected?
The first in 1921, the latest in 1992.
How old are the homes in Tourves?
14% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.