Saint-Raphaël, Var

In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte and his forces arrived by ship from Egypt, prior to his coup d'état in Paris, and landed at a fishing village that was the commune of Saint-Raphaël.{{Cite book |last=Gueniffey |first=Patrice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k4XZDwAAQBAJ |title=Napoleon and de Gaulle: Heroes and History |date=2020-05-12 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-98838-5 |pages=30 |language=en}}

The coastal double-track rail link between Saint-Raphaël and Nice passes over a substantial viaduct constructed right on the shoreline at Anthéor. These tracks were of strategic importance to the Axis forces during World War II for supplying material to units in France.

There were three separate air raids made on this viaduct from England, between September 1943 and February 1944, involving a total of thirty-one Lancaster bombers operating some seven hundred miles from base. Aircraft of the second raid flew on to Rabat, and from the third raid on to Sardinia. One Lancaster from the first raid was lost, and a flight lieutenant bomb aimer on the third raid was killed by enemy fire, some of which came from ships at sea. All the raids failed in their objective and the rail link was not severed.{{cite web |url=http://www.dambusters.org.uk/antheor.htm |title=Antheor |access-date=2008-12-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010622075258/http://www.dambusters.org.uk/antheor.htm |archive-date=2001-06-22 }}

During World War II, on August 15, 1944, it was one of the sites of a beach landing in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France.

{{Historical populations

| align = none

| cols = 2

| percentages = pagr

| source = EHESS{{Cassini-Ehess|34387|Saint-Raphaël}} and INSEE (1968-2017)[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-83118#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE

| graph-pos = bottom

|1793 |409

|1800 |501

|1806 |647

|1821 |883

|1831 |966

|1836 |974

|1841 |955

|1846 |994

|1851 |1041

|1856 |1055

|1861 |1143

|1866 |1271

|1872 |1461

|1876 |1508

|1881 |2456

|1886 |3227

|1891 |3810

|1896 |4270

|1901 |4865

|1906 |4893

|1911 |5112

|1921 |6183

|1926 |8919

|1931 |9539

|1936 |9635

|1946 |8969

|1954 |10177

|1962 |13425

|1968 |17844

|1975 |21080

|1982 |24118

|1990 |26616

|1999 |30671

|2007 |34381

|2012 |34115

|2017 |35042

}}

{{wide image|Saint-Raphaël from Cap Dramont 01.jpg|900px|alt=|align-cap=center|The eastern part of Saint-Raphaël, with its village Agay beyond the bay, as seen from Cap Dramont.}}

{{wide image|Saint-Raphaël from Cap Dramont 02.jpg|900px|alt=|align-cap=center|The western part of Saint-Raphaël, with the Île d'Or on the left, as seen from Cap Dramont.}}

Saint-Raphaël is located at the extreme eastern end of the Var, along the border with the adjacent département of Alpes-Maritimes, which occupies the far south-eastern corner of France at the frontier with Italy. The commune has a total of thirty-six kilometres ({{convert|36|km|abbr=off|disp=output only}}) of Mediterranean coastline,{{Cite web |title=Accueil |url=https://www.saint-raphael.com/fr/ |access-date=2022-12-08 |website=www.saint-raphael.com}} owing mainly to the many coves and creeks formed between the natural region of the Esterel Massif (Massif de l'Esterel) and the sea. This places it second only to Marseilles, with fifty-seven kilometres ({{convert|57|km|abbr=off|disp=output only}}) of coastline. The commune is 89.59 km² in extent. It is almost completely urbanised in the west, but includes over 60 km² of protected areas of natural forest and the Esterel mountains.

Saint-Raphaël has four large sandy beaches: one near the city centre, called the Veillat; one at Boulouris; one at Le Dramont, and the fourth at Agay. There are two smaller ones at Anthéor and Le Trayas.

Saint-Raphaël is separated from Fréjus by the River Pédégal: fed by the Garonne, the Adrets-of-l'Esterel, Saint-Jean-de-Cannes and Saint-Jean-de-l'Esterel.

The River Agay flows from the mountains down through the village of that name, and is fed by the streams Cabre, Perthus and Grenouillet. The Grenouillet is the most important of these streams, having average flows of between 43 cu m/s in July and 1160 cu m/s in January.

The River Valescure, which is channelled through the Barrage des Crous (dam), discharges into the River Reyran at Fréjus.

File:Le Trayas at Forêt Domaniale de l'Estérel, Commune de Saint Raphael.jpg

From east to west the commune has several mountain summits rising from the massif. Mont Vinaigre in Fréjus stands at {{convert|618|m|ft|abbr=off}}, Rastel d'Agay at {{convert|287|m|ft|abbr=on}}, Pic de l'Ours (carrying a transmitter aerial) at {{convert|492|m|ft|abbr=on}}, Pic du Cap Roux at {{convert|453|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and Pic d'Aurèle at {{convert|322|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

Situated almost entirely on the Esterel Massif, the commune sits on soil of red porphyr, which makes for very picturesque scenes along the coast where the soil and rocks are exposed on cliff faces and rocky shores. Three important and spectacular rocks dominate the seascape: Cap Roux at {{convert|360|m|ft|abbr=on}}, Saint-Pilon at {{convert|295|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and the Rock of Saint-Barthélemy.

Immediately to the west and north-west of Saint-Raphaël lies the ancient town of Fréjus. To the north lie the hamlets of Saint-Jean-de-l'Esterel et Saint-Jean-de-Cannes, both within the Fréjus commune. To the extreme north-east, beyond Le Trayas, is the small resort of Miramar, lying within the commune of Théoule-sur-Mer. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south of the whole Saint-Raphaël commune.

St. Raphaël is located on the Côte d'Azur and enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, humid winters. The Mistral wind occurs, although sometimes the town is sheltered from this by the Massif des Maures and the Esterel. It is perhaps more exposed to the Levant (strong, easterly, wet) or the Sirocco (very strong, southerly, hot) air flows, but these occur rarely. The wind velocity record was established on 30 January 1986, with gusts of {{convert|140|km|0|abbr=on}} per hour.

{{Clear}}

{{Weather box

|location = Saint-Raphaël[https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/metadonnees_publiques/fiches/fiche_83118002.pdf Meteo-France Weather Station] (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1966–2007)

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan record high C = 20.2

|Feb record high C = 21.6

|Mar record high C = 34.6

|Apr record high C = 26.7

|May record high C = 31.0

|Jun record high C = 34.0

|Jul record high C = 37.2

|Aug record high C = 36.5

|Sep record high C = 32.8

|Oct record high C = 28.0

|Nov record high C = 23.0

|Dec record high C = 20.5

|year record high C = 37.2

|Jan high C = 12.5

|Feb high C = 13.4

|Mar high C = 15.9

|Apr high C = 17.8

|May high C = 22.5

|Jun high C = 26.6

|Jul high C = 29.7

|Aug high C = 30.1

|Sep high C = 25.3

|Oct high C = 20.6

|Nov high C = 15.9

|Dec high C = 13.0

|year high C = 20.3

|Jan mean C = 9.3

|Feb mean C = 9.6

|Mar mean C = 11.9

|Apr mean C = 13.8

|May mean C = 18.2

|Jun mean C = 22.1

|Jul mean C = 24.9

|Aug mean C = 25.3

|Sep mean C = 21.0

|Oct mean C = 17.2

|Nov mean C = 12.6

|Dec mean C = 9.9

|year mean C = 16.3

|Jan low C = 6.0

|Feb low C = 5.8

|Mar low C = 7.9

|Apr low C = 9.7

|May low C = 14.0

|Jun low C = 17.5

|Jul low C = 20.2

|Aug low C = 20.5

|Sep low C = 16.7

|Oct low C = 13.8

|Nov low C = 9.3

|Dec low C = 6.8

|year low C = 12.4

|Jan record low C = -9.6

|Feb record low C = -7.8

|Mar record low C = -7.2

|Apr record low C = -0.4

|May record low C = 5.0

|Jun record low C = 7.4

|Jul record low C = 12.0

|Aug record low C = 11.0

|Sep record low C = 6.8

|Oct record low C = 2.9

|Nov record low C = -1.5

|Dec record low C = -4.1

|year record low C = -9.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 72.9

|Feb precipitation mm = 49.7

|Mar precipitation mm = 52.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 75.1

|May precipitation mm = 42.3

|Jun precipitation mm = 32.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 10.6

|Aug precipitation mm = 25.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 73.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 112.6

|Nov precipitation mm = 138.0

|Dec precipitation mm = 96.3

|year precipitation mm = 780.9

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 6.0

|Feb precipitation days = 5.3

|Mar precipitation days = 5.2

|Apr precipitation days = 6.6

|May precipitation days = 5.0

|Jun precipitation days = 3.2

|Jul precipitation days = 1.4

|Aug precipitation days = 2.2

|Sep precipitation days = 4.6

|Oct precipitation days = 7.4

|Nov precipitation days = 8.5

|Dec precipitation days = 6.4

|year precipitation days = 61.8

|source 1 = Météo-France{{cite web

| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_83118002.pdf

| title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records

| language = fr

| publisher = Météo-France

| access-date = September 12, 2022}}}}

The town's modern rail station is named Saint-Raphaël-Valescure and offers national, regional, and local train services:

• High-speed TGV and Ouigo trains - from Paris-Gare de Lyon (destination Nice)
• Night trains - from Paris-Gare d'Austerlitz (destination Nice)
• Lines 03 and 06 of TER Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - from Marseille-Gare Saint-Charles (destination Nice)
• TER Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - local stopping service to Cannes from Les Arcs

International scheduled air passenger services are available at:

:Nice Côte d'Azur Airport: forty-five kilometres ({{convert|45|km|abbr=off|disp=output only}}).

:Marseille Provence Airport: {{convert|118|km|0|abbr=on}}.

Private, commercial and freight services are conducted at:

:Cannes – Mandelieu Airport: twenty kilometres ({{convert|20|km|abbr=off|disp=output only}}).

:La Môle – Saint-Tropez Airport: thirty-four kilometres ({{convert|34|km|abbr=off|disp=output only}}).

Saint-Raphaël is well served by bus routes, and has a busy bus station in the town centre.

:Express service by LER PACA - Route 21: Aix-en-Provence to Nice.

:Fast service (1 hour 15 mins) to Nice Airport by S.V.A. (Société Varoise d'Autocars)

:Departement (County) services by SodeTrav (La Société Départementale des Transports du Var)

:Routes 27, 28, 31, 53 and 104

:Town services by AggloBus Fréjus/Saint-Raphael - Routes 1a, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.

• Fréjus: {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Agay: {{convert|11|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Sainte-Maxime {{convert|23|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Draguignan: {{convert|33|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Saint-Tropez: {{convert|39|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Cannes: {{convert|41|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Brignoles: {{convert|66|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Nice: {{convert|66|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Toulon: {{convert|75|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Monte Carlo: {{convert|89|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Marseilles: {{convert|111|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Montpellier: {{convert|270|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Lyon: {{convert|415|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Perpignan: {{convert|419|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Paris: {{convert|695|km|mi|abbr=on}}
• Bordeaux: {{convert|605|km|mi|abbr=on}}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}

Saint-Raphaël is twinned with:

• {{flagicon|ARM}} Jermuk, Armenia
• {{flagicon|BEL}} Ghent, Belgium, since 1958{{cite web|url=http://www.gent.be/eCache/THE/4/216.cmVjPTEyNDIxNQ.html|title=Ghent Zustersteden|access-date=2013-07-20|work=Stad Gent|publisher=City of Ghent|language=nl}}
• {{flagicon|GER}} Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald, Germany, since 1972
• {{flagicon|ISR}} Tiberias, Israel, since 2007

file:Saint_Raphael_Notre_Dame_de_la_Victoire.jpg|The Church Notre Dame de la Victoire.

file:Saint_Raphael_Tour_1.jpg|The tower built into the old church San Rafeu.

file:Saint_Raphael_Tour_2.jpg|The medieval tower.

file:Saint_Raphael_Gare_routiere.jpg|The new central bus station adjacent to the railway station (Gare SNCF).

file:LIleDOrEnOr.JPG|L'Ile d'Or

• Communes of the Var department
• Île d'Or

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Saint-Raphaël (Var)|Saint-Raphaël}}

• {{Wikivoyage inline|Saint-Raphaël}}
• [http://www.ville-saintraphael.fr/ www.ville-saintraphael.fr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008001502/https://www.ville-saintraphael.fr/ |date=2020-10-08 }}

{{Var communes}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saintraphael}}

Category:Communes of Var (department)

Category:Populated coastal places in France