troops who fought and died during the Allied landings in southern France during World War II received an 80th anniversary tribute at a ceremony Friday in the town of Draguignan Several hundred attendees braved a morning of heavy rain to pay tribute to the roughly 900 Americans buried at the Rhone American Cemetery and the approximately 300 others memorialized on its Wall of the Missing Most of those Americans were lost during the fighting of Operation Dragoon often referred to as France’s “other D-Day.” The operation to liberate southern France in August 1944 was key to defeating the Nazis in Europe but is often overshadowed by the Normandy landings “The liberation of southern France is not as well-known as other operations and the sacrifices were no less,” Johnny Matherne the Rhone American Cemetery superintendent said in a statement Friday from the American Battle Monuments Commission Dignitaries who spoke at the ceremony included U.S deputy commanding general for the 36th Infantry Division representatives of the families of the fallen American soldiers placed wreaths as did officials from the ABMC and four countries with the aim of recapturing the ports of Marseille and Toulon from German forces and trapping the German 19th Army the Allies liberated most of southern France and linked up with troops from the Normandy landings in the northwest In stenographic records published after the war Nazi leader Adolf Hitler called the day Operation Dragoon began the worst day of his life The main ground force for the operation was the U.S rendered vital airlift and tactical air support throughout the operation the American commander of airborne troops in Operation Dragoon who led a unit dubbed “the Devil’s Brigade,” was the subject of a 2006 biography titled “The Last Fighting General.” The Amazon description of the book says he “pioneered racial integration on army training bases devised training regimens used throughout North America and left a record that would seem mythical if not documented.” Rhone American Cemetery is located along the route where the U.S Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: 3/7/24 - Acquisition - Draguignan, Musée des Beaux-Arts - Les visiteurs du musée dracénois dont la réouverture fit l’évènement en novembre dernier (voir notre article) savent que son directeur Yohan Rimaud a joliment su relancer sa politique d’enrichissement : son beau dynamisme ne faiblit pas et continue même d’attirer amateurs et mécènes à l’image de la Fondation La Marck qui vient d’offrir à l’institution ce portrait de Nicolas de Largillierre (ill 1) préempté à Drouot par les bons offices de l’émissaire orléanais venu pour acquérir le superbe… Pour avoir accès à ce contenu, vous devez vous abonner à La Tribune de l’Art. 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Les avantages et les conditions de cet abonnement, qui vous permettra par ailleurs de soutenir La Tribune de l’Art, sont décrits sur la page d’abonnement Si vous êtes déjà abonné, connectez-vous This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed France — At least 19 people were killed in flash floods that hit the back hills of the French Riviera and turned streets into rivers of surging This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing The Domaine du Dragon (Dragon’s Domain) named after a legend evoking the presence of a dragon lying in nearby caves opens up at the foot of the sumptuous Gorges de Châteaudouble in the north of Draguignan Since its resumption and its revitalization by Lisa and Mir Nezam two years ago the Domaine du Dragon emerges from its torpor and writes a new page of legend the estate was called Domaine du Dragon (Dragon’s Domain) because a dragon used to haunt some caves in the Nartuby the Bishop Honorat from the Abbey of Lérins came to preach Christianity in the region The prelate already knew how to have God’s wrath thunder upon the reptiles for he had driven out the snakes that swarmed on the island which is now bearing his name in the Iles de Lerins in the bay of Cannes the Dragon is the emblem of Draguignan because Dracenia was given to a Roman general The Domaine du Dragon is spreading its sixty hectares on the hillsides of Draguignan where 24 hectares of vineyards are offered to the caresses of the Mediterranean sun ideal for the production of wines in AOP Côtes de Provence is benefiting from good underground hydrological conditions since a source is springing on the vineyard whose course then winds towards Draguignan The renovation of the estate consisted of new plantations to harmonize grape varieties and improve the organoleptic quality of the wines The Domaine applies a reasoned viticulture in order to enable the full expression of the terroir characteristics Mir Nezam is throwing all his effort to develop premium wines and to produce wines for ageing He undertook major works to modernize the stages of vinification in particular the renovation of concrete tanks ideal for the conservation of nectars on the estate and the replacement of stainless steel tanks A cooling unit allows to thermoregulate the tanks and a unit produces nitrogen to prevents the wines from oxidizing in contact with the air The juices are worked by gravity and are vinified in 3 barrels suitable for the good aging of the wines the Domaine du Dragon boasts a weather station thus reducing by 50% the doses of products of phytosanitary treatments Fragments retrouvés lors des fouilles par Richard Strambio In addition to its vineyards producing exceptional wines with prestigious medals the Domaine du Dragon conceals the ruins of a Roman castrum and those of the Chapelle Saint Michel from the 12th century One can admire the archaeological fragments discovered by Richard Strambio during excavations at the Chapel Saint Michel Around the renovated Bastide many old buildings stand like farm brings visitors to admire the treasures of the domain which also open to the public for cultural events: concerts the exhibition Human of paintings by the artist Benjamin Vasapolli adorns the walls of the cellars and the shop Serge Gainsbourg or the Commandant Massoud domainedudragon.com Click on pictures to enlarge – ©Domaine du Dragon & YesICannes.com – All rights reserved sensational couple – a success through and through and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed La 78e édition du prochain Festival de Cannes le Festival de Cannes s'empare de la ville et des tabloïds du monde entier Juliette Binoche présidera le jury du Festival de Cannes 2025 © Copyright 2025. Powered by WordPress Viewport Theme by ThemeZilla Supermarket giant Leclerc has launched a new shop in the south of France that aims to offer ‘hypermarket prices’ in a small city-centre shop It is the chain’s first supérette (compact supermarket) and has been opened in the town of Draguignan in the Var department head of the Leclerc in neighbouring town Le Luc and representative of other surrounding stores said that “the idea is to offer as many products as possible at hypermarket prices in the town centre” and to “go against what has been done up to now” “Small shops are sometimes up to 30% more expensive than hypermarkets,” he told Var Matin “Just because they are local shops that people can walk to does not mean they should have to pay more.” There are already three Leclerc click and collect stores in Draguignan but the new supérette will be the chain’s first city-centre walk-in shop in the town have said that the new competition may affect their shops “It's never good news when a competitor sets up shop nearby Especially when they have attractive prices,” said Laurent Pulitano Inflation in France slowing but fresh food prices still up 11% in year Inflation: another French supermarket freezes price of 300 items What food products have risen most in price in France? Japanese pastry chef Mori Yoshida creates refined cakes and desserts Columnist Sue Adams gives her tips on how to get the best out of the long season in France “Dance on the Pont d’Avignon and sing Charles Trenet’s haunting song La Mer as you travel along the Côte d’Azur railway.” These were Pat’s words to me on our 50th wedding anniversary My romantic man gave me a bucket list of 10 French destinations to explore together and my vow to complete his list has become a three-year odyssey instead of a 12-month spree Read more: French adventure in memory of beloved Pat I have already ticked off a Grand Massif trek I planned a rail route combining two of them in one week: I would fly from London to Nice take the coastal train (which starts at Marseille hits the coast at Fréjus and terminates at Ventimiglia and then head back to Nice (€8 return fare!) I would board a TGV from Nice to Les Arcs - Draguignan pay a visit to my family who have just moved to the nearby village of Aups then hop on another train and head to Avignon I could change trains at Marseille and finish my journey install yourself in an all-day cafe/restaurant facing the Boulevard des Anglais and watch the joggers I chose the eccentric-but-glamorous Café de Paris An evening meal and people watching later at Café de Paris The scenic Riviera trains run about every half hour and take less than 40 minutes to reach Monaco After lunch and yacht-watching (no celebs) and a peek in the casino unspoilt fishing village of Villefranche-sur-Mer Founded in the 14th century as a customs-free port its perfect bay is one of the deepest in the world I walked my lunch off along the Promenade des Anglais admiring the Belle Epoque architecture and envying the English aristocracy who holidayed here in the 1930s I boarded the TGV towards Strasbourg from Nice Draguignan is the main stop-off point for the beautiful Var villages in the foothills of the Alps including Aups where I met my son Tom and his wife Alison Sally and son Tom at Lac de Sainte-Croix; Photo: Sally Ann Voak a resistance stronghold during World War Two is famous not just for the bravery of its residents Local vineyards produce some of the finest rosé wines in the country and it is also feted as ‘Capital of the Truffle’ (visit at the end of June when the paler Another nearby highlight is the Lac de Sainte-Croix in the Verdon Natural Regional Park scenic bridge and view of the Gorges du Verdon I caught an early TGV to my next destination A short taxi ride from the modern station took me across the Rhône and through the 13th century ramparts The city within the ancient walls is a joy – a vibrant mix of history was perfect for walking the cobbled streets my vow to dance on the Pont d’Avignon (also known as the Pont Saint-Bénézet) was realised A ‘senior’ tariff of €4 allowed me to climb up to the archway enter the ancient portal and soak up the atmosphere The first ‘Sur le Pont’ songs were written back in the 15th century but the version we all know was originally composed in 1899 by Adolphe Adam and sung at the Opéra Comique in Paris It has surely contributed more to Avignon’s fame than any advertising campaign The bridge itself is entwined in the tale of Bénézet (St Benedict) – a scrawny young chap of 14 or 15 who used divine inspiration and his own entrepreneurial zeal to collect money to build it but his story is recorded on a manuscript dated from the end of the 13th century now conserved in the Vaucluse departmental archives Avignon is full of surprises and fascinating people who plays his barrel organ in the main street with his cat for company I enjoyed modern art exhibitions in ancient churches My last day was spent back in Nice: coffee and croissants in the huge Place Masséna then a long walk up to the Musée National Marc Chagall through the Cimiez area with its mansions after a meal at “my” little seafront restaurant I wandered over to the white benches that border the promenade watched the gentle waves caressing the shingle beach he composed it in 1943 on a train chugging along the Riviera He was told it was not ‘swing’ enough to be a hit so the song sat in a drawer for three years before being recorded in 1946 Explore the Côte d’Azur in miniature in France's latest exhibition French city of Nice becomes Unesco World Heritage Site Five regions in France that have not always been French Some fare options are less flexible and less forgiving of lateness Two major train unions are threatening to strike and are ‘not willing to negotiate’ The Travelski Night Express will begin service this December and start selling tickets in May Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Wild boar have been approaching houses in the south of France out of hunger and thirst as hot weather continues in the region Saint-Raphaël and Fréjus (Var) have been particularly affected The boar have been seen coming close to homes and attempting to find food in rubbish bins came home after midnight one evening to find a wild boar foraging in a bin bag outside of his home He captured it on video while still inside his car and simply wished the animal “bon appétit” This is the only unfenced area in the residence.” Mr Cartier said he was not too surprised to see an animal foraging for food saying that he often sees foxes “roaming everywhere at night near the houses” although the hot temperatures in recent weeks have prompted them to seek food and water closer to homes than usual has noticed the same phenomenon on her farm she said that she had seen boar roaming in her fields I've seen four or five of them at Petit Défend when I go to deliver my vegetable baskets.” Ms Sibilli added: “They are quite clever with their paws They cut the watermelon in half and eat the inside We’re kind of used to living with them now Biodiversity assistant Michel Niveau, at the Office de biodiversité dans le Var, (OFB) told France 3 that the situation is “not unusual” He receives several emails a day about their presence adding that people’s reactions can vary significantly “There are people who feed them and others who think it's good to kill them,” he said but this rise in sightings may be linked to the drought But wild boar populations adapt to all types of environments They can even become peri-urban or completely urban.” Boar can be controversial due to their propensity to cause damage in urban and farming areas Read more: French towns take action as urban wild boar sightings soar Wild boar numbers are generally regulated close to cities in France via official hunts with specially-authorised hunters Individual shooting may also be permitted to protect crops sometimes at the request of the local mairie the boar population is continuing to increase with hunting group la Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs (FNC) estimating that there are now three million of them in France Read more: Debate over wild boar hunts in France after one runs into public pool Read more: Wild boar numbers spike in France due to confinement The Var department has one of the top-five wild boar populations in France with problems especially common nearer to the coast This is because it is one of the most wooded departments in France Wild boar naturally live and breed in wooded areas but can venture kilometres away to find food The group is especially worried about the rising population because the FNC is supposed to pay for any damage that boars cause to farm fields and crops but the FNC says it should no longer apply There were 21,000 killings last year in Var the director of the department’s hunting federation said He said: “The hunting period runs from June 1 to March 31 of the following year We set up hunts in the municipalities that have damage problems.” How to repel wild boars in France: try juniper wood oil Hunters use bows and arrows to cull boar in southwest France The prefectural ban is set to remain in place until at least December 31 The geographical spread of Canadian nationals follows a similar pattern to Americans Her body was found outside initial search area by a walker over the weekend A rally car ploughed into the crowd during a race in southern France Saturday killing at least two people and badly injuring about 15 The orange-colored car competing in the 14th annual Maures regional rally veered off the road at Plan-de-la-Tour in the Var region near the Mediterranean coast killing a 20-year-old spectator and a race marshal four including two youths aged 12 and 17 were critical "The toll could worsen," Stanislas Cazelles He added that the second day of the rally has been cancelled said an official from her office was en route to oversee an investigation made a mistake at an intersection where he was supposed to turn right "The priority is to find out the causes of this accident has been hospitalized and placed in custody and the co-driver will be heard," said a prosecutor Julien Ficara Investigators have begun collecting photos and footage from spectators in order to determine the circumstances of the accident Visibly shocked by the accident which occurred around 4:30 pm (1430 GMT) several competitors at the rally were in tears Minister for Youth and Sports Valerie Fourneyron said in a statement that the accident poses "a serious question of public security during automobile events." "With the interior minister we want to meet the concerned people as soon as possible in order to take necessary measures quickly," she said Several fatal accidents have occurred recently during car rallies in France who was at a zone that was off limits to the public was hit by a car during a rally in the south-east of the country a 19-year-old was killed during a rally in eastern France Extraordinary coaching career crowned with Saudi team’s shock win against Argentina Saudi Arabia's stunning victory over Argentina in their World Cup opener on Tuesday (November 22) marked the most recent international honour for team manager Harve Renard Prior to the stunning World Cup victory against Lionel Messi’s squad the Frenchman was the head of Morocco’s national team in the 2018 World Cup is a former football player from Aix-les-Bains who rode through his career’s highs and lows His stint with the Saudi national football team and a crowning glory for his extraordinary coaching career he led Saudi Arabia to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup he became the first foreign-born manager with the most wins (18) in the nation's history Saudi Arabia’s win over favourites Argentina in their Qatar World Cup thriller on Tuesday is far cry from Renard’s difficult moments he was fired with the team in the Football League's bottom two Following his unremarkable performance at Cambridge Renard coached teams in Vietnam and France before accepting his first position as head coach of a national team with Zambia he led the Zambia squad to their first quarterfinal at the Africa Cup of Nations in 14 years but he left to become the new coach of neighbouring Angola After returning to Zambia via USM Alger in Algeria in less than 18 months Renard astonished the football world in 2012 by leading the Copper Bullets to their first Afcon victory they defeated an Ivory Coast team — including the Toure brothers and Didier Drogba via penalties one of the 14 losses he suffered in 26 games came against Boston United in 2004 His maternal grandparents were from Poland Renard played as a defender for French sides AS Cannes Stade de Vallauris and SC Draguignan.  Renard began his coaching career with SC Draguignan in 1999 he worked as Claude Le Roy's assistant at Chinese club Shanghai Cosco he took over as manager of English team Cambridge United after first joining the organization to work as Le Roy's coach he took over as manager of the Vietnamese club Song Da Nam Dinh He joined AS Cherbourg as manager in 2005 and left in 2007 He then worked as Claude Le Roy's assistant for the Ghanaian national team He was chosen to lead the Zambian national team in May 2008 he guided Zambia to the quarterfinal stage of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Renard was appointed as manager of the Ivory Coast national team He was manager at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations becoming the first coach to win two Africa Cup of Nations with different countries Renard became manager of French club Lille he was sacked after getting only 13 points in 13 league games Renard then became Morocco manager at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in February 2016 In October 2016 he was linked with the vacant Algeria national team job he qualified Morocco to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia In July 2019 the Moroccan team was eliminated from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with Renard taking responsibility for the "shock exit” Renard managed his first official match against Yemen in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification he is now celebrating his victory after defeating a tournament favourite Renard's illustrious career as a manager now spans 23 years and 13 teams in nine different nations Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox Qatar’s trip from sports stadiums to leisure hubs See: Corn field planted with face of Lionel Messi Rescuers airlifted survivors and searched for missing people in southern France yesterday after heavy storms triggered flash floods that killed at least 19 people Nearly 2,000 rescue workers rushed in to help hundreds trapped in their vehicles houses or on rooftops in the Draguignan area near the Mediterranean coast while helicopters were sent in to airlift residents to safety Emergency teams also moved 436 inmates from a flooded prison in Draguignan where the water covered the first two floors and they were taken to nearby jails The death toll climbed since early morning as rescuers found the bodies of more victims State authorities in the Var department said earlier that 15 people had died and 12 were missing Meteorologists said the damage by the floods was the worst there since 1827 Police warned people not to try to take out their cars because more bad weather was expected Heavy rains on Tuesday caused water levels to rise swiftly in the area preventing many people from fleeing to higher ground and forcing some to seek shelter on the roofs of their homes soldiers and police officers and 11 helicopters have been mobilised adding that 1,500 calls for help had been received The disaster reached the popular tourist town of Frejus where more than 1,500 people were taken to safety many in inflatable boats or by helicopter airlift to four shelters Up to 200,000 homes were left without electricity during the rainstorms and by late yesterday power had been restored to only around half of those The rising waters also trapped a high speed train travelling from Nice to Lille with 300 passengers on board The SNCF rail authority halted all train services between Toulon and Saint-Raphael until today saying some three kilometres of tracks were under water President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a statement expressing condolences for the victims' families and support for rescue teams who are "mobilising non-stop to provide aid and find those still missing." said more than 30 centimetres of rain had fallen since Tuesday causing water levels to rise to alarming levels in the streets of Draguignan we woke up to find a city that was devastated extremely battered with overturned cars floating in the streets collapsed roads and gutted houses," said Ms Orzechowski "We are still in the rescue phase before moving on to the cleanup," she said adding that makeshift shelters were opened to welcome families left homeless by the floods Water levels yesterday had dropped slightly in Draguignan but rains were still battering the nearby towns of Roquebrune and Frejus not far from the Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez long-time resident Gerard Grangeon went searching for his sister-in-law's car which he found floating in the streets please register for free or log in to your account.