Les Restanques de Saint-Clair

Thanks to the transport possibilities offered by the train, which at the time crossed Le Lavandou, farmers developed this technique and experienced prosperous years.
In his book, Le Lavandou, Francis Marmier describes precisely the process of building the terraces. “The largest terraces are supported by walls three meters high, sometimes exceeding one hundred meters long, whose bases which can be up to one meter thick rest directly on the rock in place. The stones are laid and crossed without mortar or other concern than that of the greatest stability, the exterior finish is ultimately improved by innumerable stone scales, driven with force into the joints with a hammer. To increase their strength, the walls are built with a large fruit, that is to say inclined towards the rear, and reinforced inwards by a thickness of blocking which promotes drainage. Enormous work, accomplished technique, admirable aesthetic (…) Not far from the sea, on the hillsides best exposed and sheltered from the wind, these dry stone walls retain heat and create a microclimate conducive to early crops. »

THE AGRICULTURAL ERA
The terraces of Saint-Clair have seen many varieties of flowers – wallflowers, arums, ixias, montbretias, freesias, daisies, chamelaucium, marigolds, statices, etc. – and vegetables – beans, peas, potatoes, etc. – grow on their land.
In his work, Francis Marmier recounts that in 1952, Marius Dorie, mayor of Lavandou and general councilor, was surprised by the importance of agricultural production in Lavandou: “900 tonnes of vegetables and 80 baskets of flowers”. After this decisive period for the region's economy, crops were gradually abandoned and a good number of agricultural lands gave way to constructions which sprang up all along the Var coastline.