commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pre ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
in Southeastern France.
It is located in the
Métropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée
The Métropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée is the ''métropole'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Toulon. It is located in the Var department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, southeastern France. It was created i ...
, east of the city of
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
. In 2019, it had a population of 25,505.
History
The name derives from the town's ancient origins, meaning "The Guard". It is mentioned in 1056, when its castle was a
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...
of the Bishops of Toulon; they kept it until the 13th century, when it was handed over to the Castellanes, then the lords of Glandevès and the Thomas. Today only a tower and the chapel remain of the castle.
La Garde was repeatedly invaded during the
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mil ...