View source for Toulon

{{Short description|Prefecture in France}}
{{for multi|the rugby club|RC Toulonnais|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Toulon
|native name        = {{native name|oc|Tolon}}
|commune status     = [[Prefectures of France|Prefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image              = Montage Toulon.JPG
|image size         = 270px
|caption            = Top left: Toulon Opera House, top right: Mayol Stadium (Le Stade du Mayol), 2nd: panoramic view of downtown Toulon and its port, 3rd left: Place de la Liberté, 3rd right: the beaches of Mourillon, bottom left: the cable car to Mount Faron, bottom right: Fort Saint-Louis 
|image flag         = Flag of Toulon.svg
|image coat of arms = Armoiries ville fr Toulon (83).svg
|arrondissement     = Toulon
|canton             = [[Canton of Toulon-1|Toulon-1]], [[Canton of Toulon-2|2]], [[Canton of Toulon-3|3]] and [[Canton of Toulon-4|4]]
|INSEE              = 83137
|postal code        = 83000
|demonym            = Toulonnais
|mayor              = {{ill|Josée Massi|fr}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=30 November 2023|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2023&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = [[Métropole Toulon Provence Méditerranée]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|43|07|33|N|05|55|50|E|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 1
|elevation min m    = 0
|elevation max m    = 589
|area km2           = 42.84 
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Toulon''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|t|uː|l|ɒ̃}}, {{IPAc-en|US|t|uː|ˈ|l|oʊ|n|,_|-|ˈ|l|ɔː|n|,_|-|ˈ|l|ɒ|n}},<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Toulon|access-date=27 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/toulon|title=Toulon|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=27 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427123214/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/toulon|archive-date=27 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/Toulon "Toulon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427124437/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/Toulon |date=27 April 2019 }} (US) and {{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Toulon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182203/https://www.lexico.com/definition/toulon |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=Toulon |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Toulon|access-date=27 April 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|tulɔ̃|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Jules78120-Toulon.wav}}; {{langx|oc|label=[[Occitan language|Provençal]]|Tolon}} {{small|(classical norm)}}, {{lang|oc|Touloun}} {{small|(Mistralian norm)}}, {{IPA|oc|tuˈlun|pron}}) is a city in the [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]] region of southeastern [[France]]. Located on the [[French Riviera]] and the historical [[Provence]], it is the prefecture of the [[Var (department)|Var]] department.

The Commune of Toulon has a population of 176,198 people (2018), making it France's 13th-largest city, and third most populous French city on the Mediterranean, after [[Marseille]] and [[Nice]]. It is the centre of an [[urban unit]] with 580,281 inhabitants (2018), the ninth largest in France by population.<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=UU2020-00757+COM-83137 Comparateur de territoire: Unité urbaine 2020 de Toulon (00757), Commune de Toulon (83137)], INSEE, retrieved 16 June 2022.</ref>  

Toulon is an important centre for naval construction, fishing, wine making, and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, armaments, maps, paper, tobacco, printing, shoes, and electronic equipment.

The [[military port of Toulon]] is the major [[navy|naval]] centre on France's Mediterranean coast, home of the French aircraft carrier ''[[French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle|Charles de Gaulle]]'' and her battle group. The [[French Mediterranean Fleet]] is based in Toulon. The [[Siege of Toulon (1793)|1793 siege]] took place during the Federalist revolts.

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of Toulon}}

===Prehistory to the Roman era===
[[File:Toulon Cathedral Exterior.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Toulon Cathedral (11th to 18th centuries)]]
Archaeological excavations, such as those at the [[Cosquer Cave]] near [[Marseille]], show that the coast of [[Provence]] was inhabited since at least the [[Paleolithic]] era. [[Greeks|Greek]] colonists came from [[Phocaea]], [[Asia Minor]], in about the 7th century BC and established trading depots along the coast, including one, called Olbia, at Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre south of [[Hyères]], to the east of Toulon. The [[Ligures|Ligurians]] settled in the area beginning in the 4th century BC.<ref>Aldo Bastié, Historie de la Provence, Éditions Ouest-France, 2001.</ref>

In the 2nd century BC, the residents of Massalia (present-day [[Marseille]]) called upon the [[Ancient Romans|Romans]] to help them pacify the region. The Romans defeated the Ligurians and began to start their own colonies along the coast.{{cn|date=November 2023}} A Roman settlement was founded at the present location of Toulon, with the name Telo Martius – Telo, either for the local god of springs [[Telo (mythology)|Telo]] or from the Latin ''tol'', the base of the hill – and [[Mars (mythology)|Martius]], for the god of war. Telo Martius became one of the two principal Roman [[dye]] manufacturing centres, producing the purple colour used in imperial robes, made from the local sea snail called [[murex]], and from the acorns of the oak trees. Toulon harbour became a shelter for trading ships, and the name of the town gradually changed from Telo to Tholon, Tolon, and Toulon.{{cn|date=November 2023}}

===Arrival of Christianity and the Counts of Provence===
{{expand section|date=July 2019}}
Toulon was Christianized in the 5th century, and the first cathedral built. [[Honoratus]] and Gratianus of Toulon (Gratien), according to the ''[[Gallia Christiana]]'', were the first bishops of [[Bishopric of Toulon|Toulon]], but [[Louis Duchesne]] gives [[Augustalis (bishop)|Augustalis]] as the first historical bishop. He assisted at councils in 441 and 442 and signed in 449 and 450 the letters addressed to [[Pope Leo I]] from the [[province of Arles]].{{cn|date=November 2023}}

A [[Cyprian of Toulon|Saint Cyprian]], disciple and biographer of [[Caesarius of Arles|St. Cæsarius of Arles]], is also mentioned as a Bishop of Toulon. His episcopate, begun in 524, had not come to an end in 541; he converted to Catholicism two [[Visigoths|Visigothic]] chiefs, Mandrier and Flavian, who became [[anchorite]]s and martyrs on the peninsula of Mandrier.<ref>A legend which states that a certain Cleon accompanied St. Lazarus to Gaul and was the founder of the Church of Toulon, is based on a 14th-century forgery that was ascribed to a 6th-century bishop named Didier.</ref> As barbarians invaded the region and Roman power crumbled, the town was frequently attacked by pirates and the [[Saracens]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barbarian Origin, Invasions & Kingdoms |url=https://study.com/academy/lesson/barbarians-history-invasions.html |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=study.com}}</ref>{{cn|date=November 2023}}

===Royal port (15th–18th centuries)===

{{Main|Ottoman wintering in Toulon}}
[[File:Tour royale.jpg|thumb|The Tour Royale (16th century)]] [[File:Barbarossa fleet wintering in Toulon 1543.jpg|thumb|[[Hayreddin Barbarossa|Barbarossa]]'s [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] fleet, of the [[Ottoman Algeria|Regency of Algiers]], wintering in the harbour of Toulon in 1543, with the [[Tour Royale, Toulon|Tour Royale]] (bottom right).]]
[[File:Opéra-Toulon.jpg|thumb|The Toulon Opera House (1862)]]
[[File:Université de Toulon batiment R.JPG|thumb|A view of the University campus]]
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2022}}
In 1486, Provence became part of France. Soon afterwards, in 1494, [[Charles VIII of France]], with the intention of making France a sea power on the Mediterranean, and to support his military campaign in Italy, began constructing a military port at the harbor of Toulon. His Italian campaign failed, and in 1497, the rulers of [[Genoa]], who controlled commerce on that part of the Mediterranean, blockaded the new port.

In 1524, as part of his longtime battle against Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] and the [[Holy Roman Empire]], King [[Francis I of France|François I]] of [[Kingdom of France|France]] completed a powerful new fort, the [[Tour Royale, Toulon]], at the entrance of the harbour. However, a few months later the commander of the new fort sold it to the commander of an Army of the Holy Roman Empire, and Toulon surrendered.

In 1543, Francis I found a surprising new ally in his battle against the Holy Roman Empire. He invited the fleet of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Admiral [[Hayreddin Barbarossa|Barbarossa]] to Toulon as part of the [[Franco-Ottoman alliance]]. The residents were forced to leave (except for the heads of household), and the Ottoman sailors occupied the town for the winter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-11-03 |title=Wintering in Toulon |url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/wintering-in-toulon-33831 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Hürriyet Daily News |language=en}}</ref> See [[Ottoman occupation of Toulon]].

In 1646, a fleet was gathered in Toulon for the major [[Battle of Orbetello]], also known as the Battle of Isola del Giglio, commanded by France's first Grand Admiral, the young Grand Admiral Marquis of Brézé, Jean Armand de Maillé-Bréze of 36 galleons, 20 galleys, and a large complement of minor vessels. This fleet carried aboard an army of 8,000 infantry and 800 cavalry and its baggage under Thomas of Savoy, shortly before a general in Spanish service.

King [[Louis XIV]] was determined to make France a major sea power. In 1660, his Minister [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]] ordered [[Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban]] to build a new arsenal and to fortify the town. In 1707, during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], Toulon successfully resisted a siege by the Imperial Army led by Duke [[Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia]] of [[Duchy of Savoy|Savoy]] and [[Prince Eugene of Savoy|Prince Eugene]]. However, in 1720, the city was ravaged by the [[black plague]], coming from Marseille. Thirteen thousand people, or half the population, died.

In 1790, following the [[French Revolution]], Toulon became the administrative centre of the département of the [[Var (department)|Var]]. However, in 1793, the [[Jacobin]] administration of the city was swept from power, allowing [[Girondins]] and royalists to take their place; the city then rose up against the central administration of the First Republic and joined the [[Federalist revolts]]. The new Federalist administration surrendered the city and its fleet to the British. French Republican forces then undertook the [[siege of Toulon]], forcing the British to withdraw, taking a number of ships with them and destroying the rest of them. [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] served as an artillery captain during the event. To punish Toulon for its rebellion, the town lost its status as department capital and was briefly renamed '''{{lang|fr-FR|Port-la-Montagne}}''',<ref name="Archives">{{cite book |title=Table alphabetique et analytique des archives parlementaires, LXXXII |publisher=Archives Parlementaires |page=789 |url=https://sul-philologic.stanford.edu/philologic/archparl/navigate/83/4/ |access-date=10 November 2023 |language=fr |quote=Port-la-Montagne (Commune de). La Convention décrète que la commune de Toulon portera désormais le nom de Port-la-Montagne (4 nivôse an II — 24 décembre 1793, t. LXXXII, p. 259).}}</ref> after [[The Mountain]] faction.

===19th century===
[[File:Toulon 1850.jpg|thumb|View in 1850]]
During the [[Napoleonic Wars]], from 1803 until 1805 a British fleet led by Admiral [[Horatio Nelson]] blockaded Toulon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1803-07-31 |title=Horatio Lord Nelson Signed Document Toulon Court Martial {{!}} Raab |url=https://www.raabcollection.com/foreign-figures-autographs/nelson-toulon-1803 |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=The Raab Collection |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1820, the statue which became known as the [[Venus de Milo]] was discovered on the Greek island of Milo and seen by a French naval officer, Emile Voutier. He persuaded the French Ambassador to Turkey to buy it, and brought it to Toulon on his ship, the ''Estafette''. From Toulon it was taken to the [[Louvre]].<ref>Cyrille Roumagnac, ''L'Arsenal de Toulon et la Royale''. p. 43</ref>

In 1849, Louis-Napoleon named [[Georges Eugène Haussmann]] as the new Prefect of the [[Var (department)|Var]] department. He served there only one year, but he laid out the current street plan for the city center, as he would later do for the city of Paris.

In the 1890s, there were the [[Kronstadt–Toulon naval visits|Kronstadt-Toulon naval visits]].

===20th century===
[[File:Hôtel Ville Toulon 1.jpg|thumb|upright|{{lang|fr|[[Hôtel de Ville, Toulon|Hôtel de Ville]]|italic=no}}]]
In August 1935, a year before the reign of the [[Popular Front (France)|Popular Front]], violent uprisings of the workers of the Toulon shipyards opposed the [[Austerity|policy of austerity]]. This resulted in a large number of deaths and injuries; a [[state of emergency]] was imposed.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1935/08/09/archives/5-slain-at-toulon-disorders-spread-in-french-strikes-200-wounded-in.html ''Toulon disorders''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204145034/https://www.nytimes.com/1935/08/09/archives/5-slain-at-toulon-disorders-spread-in-french-strikes-200-wounded-in.html |date=4 December 2019 }} [[The New York Times|New York Times]] 9 August 1935 (archive). Retrieved 24 November 2019.</ref>

During World War II, after the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] landings in North Africa ([[Operation Torch]]) the German Army occupied southern France ([[Case Anton]]), leading French naval officers to [[Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon|scuttle the French Fleet based at Toulon]] on 27 November 1942.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Porch |first=Douglas |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/9781107239098/type/book |title=Defeat and Division: France at War, 1939–1942 |date=2022-07-31 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-23909-8 |edition=1 |pages=491–555 |chapter=10 - Torch |doi=10.1017/9781107239098.011}}</ref> The city was bombed by the Allies in November of the following year, with much of the port destroyed and five hundred residents killed.{{cn|date=November 2023}}

The {{lang|fr|[[Hôtel de Ville, Toulon|Hôtel de Ville]]|italic=no}}, centre of the administration of the city, was completed in 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.varmatin.com/histoire/avec-lhotel-de-ville-de-toulon-de-mailly-prend-de-la-hauteur-458035|title=Avec l'hôtel de ville de Toulon, De Mailly prend de la hauteur|date=8 February 2020|newspaper=Var-martin|access-date=19 October 2024}}</ref>

In 1979, the [[University of the South, Toulon-Var|University of Toulon]] opened. Toulon was one of four French cities where the extreme-right [[Front National (France)|Front National]] won the local elections in 1995. The Front National was voted out of power in 2001.

==Main sights==

===Old Town===

The old town of Toulon, the historic centre between the port, the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Cours Lafayette, is a pedestrian area with narrow streets, small squares and many fountains. [[Toulon Cathedral]] is there. The area is also home of the celebrated [[Provençal markets|Provençal market]], which takes place every morning on the Cours Lafayette and features local products. The old town decayed in the 1980s and 1990s, but recently many of the fountains and squares have been restored and many new shops have opened.<ref>for the history of the Old Town, see Michel Vergé-Franceschi, Toulon – Port Royal (1481–1789). Tallandier: Paris, 2002.</ref>

===Fountains of Old Toulon===
<gallery>
File:Toulon Fountains 2.jpg|Fontaine du Dauphin, Place Paul Comte. The fountain, on the wall of the Bishop's residence, appears in the drawings of Toulon made for Louis XIV in 1668.
File:Toulon Place Puget Fountain.jpg|Fontaine des Trois Dauphins, Place Puget (1782)
File:Toulon Fountains 1.jpg|Fontaine de l'Intendance, Place Amiral Sénès, (1821)
File:Toulon Fountains 4.jpg|The Fontaine-Lavoir de Saint-Vincent, Place Saint-Vincent (1832), replaced the original fountain built in 1615. It had a fountain for drinking water and two basins, for washing clothes, one for washing and one for rinsing.
File:Toulon Faron3 P1440701-P1440708.jpg|View of downtown Toulon and Mediterranean Sea from Mount Faron
</gallery>
The Old Town of Toulon is known for its fountains, found in many of the small squares, each with a different character. The original system of fountains was built in the late 17th century; most were rebuilt in the 18th or early 19th century and have recently been restored.<ref>André-Jean Tardy, Fontaines Toulonnaises, Les Éditions de la Nerthe, Toulon, 2001.</ref>

===Upper Town of Georges-Eugène Haussmann===
[[File:Toulon place de la liberté-fontaine.jpg|thumb|left|Place de la Liberté.]]
The upper town, between the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the railway station, was built in the mid-19th century under [[Louis Napoleon]]. The project was begun by [[Georges-Eugène Haussmann]], who was prefect of the Var in 1849. Improvements to the neighbourhood included the [[Toulon Opera]], the Place de la Liberté, the Grand Hôtel, the Gardens of Alexander I, the Chalucet Hospital, the Palais de Justice, the train station, and the building now occupied by [[Galeries Lafayette]], among others. Haussmann went on to use the same style on a much grander scale in the rebuilding of central Paris.<ref>Haussmann was only prefect of the Var for one year, but the prototypes for boulevards, apartment buildings and parks he built in Paris were copied in many large French cities.</ref>

===Harbour and Arsenal===
[[File:Toulon Rade and Arsenal.jpg|thumb|View of Toulon, the Arsenal and Mount Faron from the Harbour.]]
{{Main|Military port of Toulon}}
Toulon harbour is one of the best natural anchorages on the Mediterranean and one of the largest harbours in Europe. A naval arsenal and shipyard was built in 1599, and a small sheltered harbour, the Veille Darse, was built in 1604–1610 to protect ships from the wind and sea. The shipyard was greatly enlarged by [[Cardinal Richelieu]], who wished to make France a Mediterranean naval power. Further additions were made by [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]] and [[Vauban]].

===Le Mourillon===
{{Main|Le Mourillon}}
Le Mourillon is a small seaside neighbourhood to the east of Toulon, near the entrance of the harbour. It was once a fishing village, and then became the home of many of the officers of the French fleet. Mourillon has a small fishing port, next to a 16th-century fort, Fort Saint Louis, which was reconstructed by Vauban.<ref>Michel Vergé-Franceschi, ''Toulon – Port Royal (1481–1789''. Tallandier: Paris, 2002.</ref> In the 1970s, the city of Toulon built a series of sheltered sandy beaches in Mourillon, which today are very popular with the Toulonais and naval families. The Museum of Asian Art is in a house on the waterfront near Fort St. Louis.

===Mount Faron===
{{Main|Mont Faron}}
Mount Faron ({{convert|584|m|ft|abbr=off}}) dominates the city of Toulon. The top can be reached by cable car from Toulon or by a narrow road that ascends from the west side and descends on the east side. The road is one of the stages of the annual [[Paris–Nice]] and [[Tour Méditerranéen]] bicycle races.

At the top of Mount Faron is a memorial dedicated to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence ([[Operation Dragoon]]), and to the liberation of Toulon.

===Vauban's fortifications===
[[File:Wikipedia-porte-italie.jpg|thumb|upright=2.0|left|The Porte d'Italie, built by Vauban. Napoleon departed from this gate in 1796 on his Italian campaign.]]
Beginning in 1678, [[Vauban]] constructed an elaborate system of fortifications around Toulon. Some parts, such as the section that once ran along the present-day Boulevard de Strasbourg, were removed in the mid-19th century so the city could be enlarged, but other parts remain.<ref>Michel Vergé-Franceschi, ''Toulon – Port Royal (1481–1789).'' Tallandier: Paris, 2002.</ref> One part that can be visited is the Porte d'Italie, one of the old city gates. [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] departed on his triumphant Italian campaign from this gate in 1796.

===Museums===
Toulon has a number of museums.

The '''Museum of the French Navy''' (Musée national de la marine) is located on Place Monsenergue, next on the west side of the old port, a short distance from the Hôtel de Ville. The museum was founded in 1814, during the reign of the Emperor Napoleon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-24 |title=Napoleon Bonaparte - Biography, Facts & Death |url=https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/napoleon |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref> It is located today behind what was formerly the monumental gate to the Arsenal of Toulon, built in 1738. The museum building, along with the clock tower next to it, is one of the few buildings of the port and arsenal which survived Allied bombardments during World War II. It contains displays tracing the history of Toulon as a port of the [[French Navy]]. Highlights include large 18th-century ship models used to teach seamanship and models of the aircraft carrier ''[[French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91)|Charles De Gaulle]]''.

The '''Museum of Old Toulon and its Region''' (Musée du vieux Toulon et de sa région). The Museum was founded in 1912, and contains a collection of maps, paintings, drawings, models and other artifacts showing the history of the city.

The '''Museum of Asian Arts''' (Musée des arts asiatiques), in Mourillon. Located in a house with garden which once belonged to the son and later the grandson of author [[Jules Verne]], the museum contains a small but interesting collection of art objects, many donated by naval officers from the time of the French colonization of Southeast Asia. It includes objects and paintings from India, China, Southeast Asia, China Tibet and Japan.

The '''Museum of Art''' (Musée d'art) was created in 1888, and contains collections of modern and contemporary art, as well as paintings of Provence from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century. It owns works by landscape artists of Provence from the late 19th century ([[Paul Guigou]], [[Auguste Aiguier]], [[Vincent Courdouan]], [[Félix Ziem]]), and the Fauves of Provence ([[Charles Camoin]], [[Auguste Chabaud]], [[Louis Mathieu Verdilhan]]). The contemporary collections contain works from 1960 to today representing the New Realism Movement (Arman, César, [[Christo]], Klein, Raysse); Minimalist Art ([[Sol LeWitt]], [[Donald Judd]]); Support Surface (Cane, Viallat côtoient Arnal, Buren, Chacallis) and an important collection of photographs by [[Henri Cartier-Bresson]], [[Dieuzaide]], [[Edouard Boubat]], [[Willy Ronis]] and [[André Kertész]]).<ref>[http://www.var.fr/dispatch.do?sectionId=site/page_d_accueil_10772717277503/culture_10772718348439/mus_es_du_var_115338388885021/provence_m_diterran_e_115338435173725/toulon_1153919362639113&publicationId=art_1154005578556135 See the page about the Museum on the official site of the Museums of the Var] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205144402/http://www.var.fr/dispatch.do?sectionId=site%2Fpage_d_accueil_10772717277503%2Fculture_10772718348439%2Fmus_es_du_var_115338388885021%2Fprovence_m_diterran_e_115338435173725%2Ftoulon_1153919362639113&publicationId=art_1154005578556135 |date=5 December 2008 }} (in French)</ref>

The '''Memorial Museum to the Landings in Provence''' (Mémorial du débarquement de Provence) is located on the summit of Mount Faron, this small museum, opened in 1964 by President [[Charles De Gaulle]], commemorates the Allied landing in Provence in August 1944 with photos, weapons and models.

The '''Museum of Natural History of Toulon and the Var''' (Musée d'histoire naturelle de Toulon et du Var) was founded in 1888, has a large collection of displays about dinosaurs, birds, mammals, and minerals, mostly from the region.

The '''Hôtel des arts''' was opened in 1998, presents five exhibits a year of works by well-known contemporary artists. Featured artists have included [[Sean Scully]], [[Jannis Kounellis]], [[Claude Viallat]], [[Per Kirkeby]], and [[Vik Muniz]].<ref>[http://www.toulon.com/musee/art/tabid/216/RemoteModuleID/690/Default.aspx#1794 See the site of the Museums of Toulon on the Toulon City Web Site (in French)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210001205/http://www.toulon.com/musee/art/tabid/216/RemoteModuleID/690/Default.aspx#1794 |date=10 February 2010 }}</ref>

===Other points of interest===
* [[Jardin d'acclimatation du Mourillon]]
* [[Tour Royale, Toulon]]

==Climate==
[[File:Toulon Rade Sunset.jpg|thumb|The Harbour at Sunset]]
Toulon is subtropical, featuring a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: Csa), characterised by abundant and strong sunshine, dry summers, and rain which is rare but sometimes torrential; and by hot summers and mild winters. Because of its proximity to the sea, the temperature is relatively moderate.

The average temperature in January, the coldest month, is {{convert|9.9|°C|0|abbr=on}}, the warmest of any city in metropolitan France.{{cn|date=May 2024}} In January, the maximum average temperature is {{convert|13.2|°C|0|abbr=on}}. and the average minimum temperature is {{convert|6.6|°C|0|abbr=on}}.

The average temperature in July, the warmest month, is {{convert|24.7|°C|0|abbr=on}}, with an average maximum of {{convert|29.5|°C|0|abbr=on}}. and an average minimal temperature of {{convert|19.9|°C|0|abbr=on}}.

According to data collected by [[Météo-France]], Toulon is the second city (after [[Marseille]]) in metropolitan France with the most sunshine per year: an average of 2,854.1 hours a year from 1991 to 2020, compared with 2,695 hours a year for Nice and 2,472 hours for Perpignan.<ref>Lameteo.org comparative climate statistics for cities of France.  See also: http://climat.meteofrance.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527204441/http://climat.meteofrance.com/ |date=27 May 2010 }}</ref> This is due to the wall of mountains that largely protects Toulon from the weather coming from the north. With a yearly average temperature of {{convert|16.7|°C|0|abbr=on}}, it is also one of the warmest cities in metropolitan France.

One distinctive feature of the Toulon climate is the wind, with 115 days a year of strong winds; usually either the cold and dry [[Mistral (wind)|Mistral]] or the [[Tramontane]] from the north, the wet [[Marin (wind)|Marin]]; or the [[Sirocco]] sometimes bearing reddish sand from Africa; or the wet and stormy [[Levant]] from the east.{{cn|date=May 2024}} (See [[Winds of Provence]].) The windiest month is January, with an average of 12.5 days of strong winds. The least windy month is September, with 7 days of strong winds.

{{Weather box
|location = Toulon (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1936–present)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 20.9
|Feb record high C = 23.2
|Mar record high C = 26.4
|Apr record high C = 28.1
|May record high C = 34.7
|Jun record high C = 36.0
|Jul record high C = 40.1
|Aug record high C = 37.0
|Sep record high C = 34.9
|Oct record high C = 29.3
|Nov record high C = 24.2
|Dec record high C = 21.9
|year record high C = 40.1
|Jan high C = 13.2
|Feb high C = 13.8
|Mar high C = 16.4
|Apr high C = 18.8
|May high C = 22.6
|Jun high C = 26.8
|Jul high C = 29.5
|Aug high C = 29.8
|Sep high C = 25.9
|Oct high C = 21.4
|Nov high C = 16.8
|Dec high C = 13.9
|year high C = 20.7
|Jan mean C = 9.9
|Feb mean C = 10.1
|Mar mean C = 12.4
|Apr mean C = 14.7
|May mean C = 18.3
|Jun mean C = 22.2
|Jul mean C = 24.7
|Aug mean C = 25.0
|Sep mean C = 21.5
|Oct mean C = 17.8
|Nov mean C = 13.5
|Dec mean C = 10.7
|year mean C = 16.7
|Jan low C = 6.6
|Feb low C = 6.3
|Mar low C = 8.4
|Apr low C = 10.5
|May low C = 13.9
|Jun low C = 17.5
|Jul low C = 19.9
|Aug low C = 20.2
|Sep low C = 17.1
|Oct low C = 14.1
|Nov low C = 10.1
|Dec low C = 7.5
|year low C = 12.7
|Jan record low C = −7.2
|Feb record low C = −9.0
|Mar record low C = −4.3
|Apr record low C = 0.3
|May record low C = 4.6
|Jun record low C = 9.0
|Jul record low C = 12.8
|Aug record low C = 12.3
|Sep record low C = 8.4
|Oct record low C = 3.2
|Nov record low C = -0.9
|Dec record low C = −4.5
|year record low C = −9.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 70.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 46.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 39.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 55.4
|May precipitation mm = 40.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 27.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 6.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 13.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 69.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 105.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 93.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 65.8
|year precipitation mm = 633.4
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.0
|Feb precipitation days = 5.6
|Mar precipitation days = 4.8
|Apr precipitation days = 6.0
|May precipitation days = 4.3
|Jun precipitation days = 2.7
|Jul precipitation days = 0.9
|Aug precipitation days = 1.6
|Sep precipitation days = 4.5
|Oct precipitation days = 6.8
|Nov precipitation days = 7.9
|Dec precipitation days = 6.3
|year precipitation days = 57.5
|Jan sun = 155.8
|Feb sun = 171.5
|Mar sun = 227.8
|Apr sun = 244.8
|May sun = 286.9
|Jun sun = 328.6
|Jul sun = 367.3
|Aug sun = 334.3
|Sep sun = 261.2
|Oct sun = 191.6
|Nov sun = 149.7
|Dec sun = 134.6
|year sun = 2854.1
|source 1 = [[Meteo France]]<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_83137001.pdf
| title = Toulon (83)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 21 July 2022}}</ref>
|source 2 = Meteo climat (sun 1981–2010)<ref name=MC1>{{cite web
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-r25.php
| title = Moyennes 1981/2010: Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
| publisher = Météoclimat
| language = fr
| access-date = 19 December 2014}}</ref><ref name=MC2>{{cite web
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=86
| title = STATION Toulon
| publisher = Météoclimat 
| language = fr
| access-date = 19 December 2014}}</ref>
}}

==Population==

{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|37812|Toulon}}</ref> and INSEE (1968–2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-83137#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
| graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |19000
|1800 |22000
|1806 |28170
|1821 |30798
|1831 |33885
|1836 |35322
|1841 |45449
|1846 |62941
|1851 |69474
|1856 |83705
|1861 |84601
|1866 |77126
|1872 |74800
|1876 |70509
|1881 |70103
|1886 |70122
|1891 |77747
|1896 |95276
|1901 |101602
|1906 |103549
|1911 |104582
|1921 |106331
|1926 |115120
|1931 |133263
|1936 |150310
|1946 |125742
|1954 |141117
|1962 |161786
|1968 |174746
|1975 |181801
|1982 |179423
|1990 |167619
|1999 |160639
|2007 |166537
|2012 |164899
|2017 |171953
}}

==Education==
Toulon has a [[Music school|conservatory]] ([[Conservatoire TPM]], part of [[Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Toulon]]) which teaches music, theater, dance and circus and an [[art school|art academy]] called [[École supérieure d'art et de design Toulon Provence Méditerranée]]. Toulon is also home to a number of institutes of the [[University of the South, Toulon-Var|University of Toulon]], known until 2013 as University of the South, Toulon-Var.<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of Toulon - Université de Toulon |url=https://www.univ-tln.fr/-University-of-Toulon-.html |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=www.univ-tln.fr}}</ref> Toulon has a campus of [[KEDGE Business School]].

==Literature==
Toulon figures prominently in [[Victor Hugo]]'s ''[[Les Misérables]]''. It is the location of the infamous prison, the [[bagne of Toulon]], in which the protagonist Jean Valjean spends nineteen years in hard labour. Toulon is also where Valjean first encounters the novel's antagonist, [[Javert]]. One portion of the wall of the old bagne, or prison, where Jean Valjean was supposedly held still stands to the right of the entrance of the Old Harbour.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}}

In [[Anthony Powell]]'s novel ''[[What's Become of Waring]]'' the central characters spend a long summer holiday in Toulon's old town. Powell himself stayed at the Hotel du Port et des Negociants on two occasions in the early 1930s and writes in the second volume of his memoirs ''The naval port, with its small inner harbour, row of cafés along the rade, was quite separate from the business quarter of the town. A paddle steamer plied several times a day between this roadstead and the agreeably unsophisticated plage of Les Sablettes''.

[[Joseph Conrad]]'s last novel, ''[[The Rover (novel)|The Rover]]'', is also set around Toulon.

The last half of [[Dewey Lambdin]]'s historical fiction novel, ''H.M.S. Cockerel'', (the sixth novel in his [[Alan Lewrie]] naval adventure series) details the [[Siege of Toulon]] from Lewrie's perspective, as he commands a commandeered French barge carrying sea mortars against Lieutenant-Colonel Bonaparte's forces.

==Transport==
[[file:2016 Toulon - Hafen.jpg|thumb|Harbor with ferry]]
Toulon is served by the [[Gare de Toulon]] railway station, offering suburban services to Marseille (1 train every 15 minutes during peak hours), regional services to Nice, and high speed connections to Paris, Strasburg, Luxemburg and Brussels. A daily night intercity train is also connecting the city to Nice, Marseille and Paris. <br>

The port of Toulon is the main port of departures for ferries to [[Corsica]]. <br>

The nearest airport is the regional [[Toulon-Hyères Airport]]. The proximity of [[Marseille-Provence Airport]] located at 80 kms of the city, serving international destinations in Europe, Africa, Middle East, North America and Asia and linked to the city-center by direct trains daily offers a good international connectivity to the city. <br>

The [[A50 autoroute]] connects Toulon to Marseille, the [[A57 autoroute]] runs from Toulon to Le Luc, where it connects to the [[A8 autoroute]].<br>

The local public transport service, {{interlanguage link|Réseau Mistral de Toulon|fr}}, operates 60 bus routes and 3 sea shuttle lines and is used by 30 million passengers annually.{{cn|date=November 2023}}

==Gastronomy==
Local food highlights include:
*cuisine from the Mediterranean and from Provence
*the ''cade toulonnaise'', a local speciality composed of chickpea flour and which is equivalent to the [[Farinata|Socca]] of Nice
*the Chichi Frégi, a type of donut from Provence.

==Sport==
The most successful of the city's clubs are the [[rugby union]] team [[RC Toulonnais|RC Toulon]] and the women's handball team [[Toulon St-Cyr Var Handball]], both playing in the top division of their respective sports. The basketball team [[Hyères-Toulon Var Basket]] play in the second division of the [[Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB)|French championship]].

The city hosts the final four of the annual [[Toulon Tournament]], an international under-21 [[association football|football]] tournament.

Toulon's main football team is [[Sporting Toulon Var|Sporting Club Toulon]], which plays in [[Championnat National]], the third level of French football. Famous players such as [[Delio Onnis]], [[Jean Tigana]], [[Christian Dalger]], [[David Ginola]] and [[Sébastien Squillaci]] have all played for Sporting.

The city has been chosen by [[Groupama]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20170129122424/http://groupamateamfrance.americascup.com/ Team France] as the venue for the fifth event in the Americas Cup World Series 2016, alongside international cities such as Portsmouth & New York.

{| class="wikitable"
! Club
! Sport
! League
! Stadium
|-
| [[RC Toulonnais|RC Toulon]]
| [[Rugby union]]
| [[Top 14]]
| [[Stade Mayol]]
|-
| [[Toulon St-Cyr Var Handball]]
| [[Team handball|Handball]]
| [[:fr:Championnat de France de handball féminin|Championnat de France de handball féminin]]
| [[Palais des Sports (Toulon)|Palais des Sports]]
|-
| [[Hyères-Toulon Var Basket]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[LNB Pro A]]
| [[Palais des Sports (Toulon)|Palais des Sports]] and [[Espace 3000]]
|-
| [[Sporting Club Toulon]]
| [[association football|Football]]
| [[Championnat National]]
| [[:fr:Stade de Bon Rencontre|Stade de Bon Rencontre]]
|-
| [[Sporting Treiziste Toulonnais]]
| [[Rugby league]]
| [[National Division 1]]
| [[Stade Delaune]]
|}

==Notable residents==
Toulon is the birthplace of:
*[[Jean Joseph Marie Amiot]] (1718–1793), [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]]
*[[Gilbert Bécaud]] (1927–2001), singer
*[[Boris Bede]] (born 1989), gridiron football player
*[[Jean Blondel]] (1929–2022), political scientist
*[[Jacques Borsarello]] (born 1951), violist
*[[Robert Busnel]] (1914–1991), basketball player
*[[Capucine]], actress
*[[François Étienne Victor de Clinchamp]] (1787–1880), painter and author
*[[Émile Colonne]] (1885–1990), operatic baritone
*[[Lúcio Costa]] (1902–1998), architect and urban planner
*[[Mireille Darc]] (1938–2017), actress
*[[Kaba Diawara]] (born 1975), footballer
*[[Christophe Dominici]] (1972–2020), French international rugby player
*[[Laurent Emmanuelli]] (born 1976), rugby player
*[[Matar Fall]] (born 1982), footballer
*[[Henri Ghys]] (1839–1908), composer and pianist
*[[Anne Golon]] (1921–2017), author, wrote a series of novels about a heroine ''[[Angélique (novel series)|Angélique]]''
*[[Josuha Guilavogui]], footballer
*[[Loïc Jean-Albert]] (born 1978), expert parachuter
*[[Maryse Joissains-Masini]] (born 1942), Mayor of [[Aix-en-Provence]]
*[[Jacques Le Goff]] (1924–2014), historian
*[[Ève Lavallière]] (1866–1929), stage actress 
*[[Félix Mayol]] (1972–1941), singer and entertainer, and namesake of [[Stade Mayol|RC Toulon's stadium]]
*[[Guy du Merle]] (1908–1993), [[aeronautical engineer]], [[test pilot]] and writer
*[[Alain Mucchielli]] (born 1947), physician
*[[Sabine Paturel]] (born 1965), singer and actress
*[[Gabriel Péri]] (1902–1941), journalist and politician
*[[Raimu]] (1883–1946), actor
*[[LiLi Roquelin]], singer-songwriter
*[[Brigitte Roüan]] (born 1946), film director and actress
*[[Bastien Salabanzi]] (born 1985), professional [[skateboarder]]
*[[Cyril Saulnier]] (born 1975), tennis player
*[[Sébastien Squillaci]] (born 1980), French international footballer
*[[Didier Tarquin]] (born 1967), cartoonist and scenarist
*[[Charles Thanaron]] (1809–1886), ''capitaine de frégate'' in the French Navy, member of Dumont d'Urville's second expedition
*[[Jean Tournier]] (1926–2004), cinematographer
*[[Joëlle Wintrebert]] (born 1949), writer

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

Toulon is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toulon.fr/toulon-pratique/article/jumelages |title=Jumelages: Toulon et ses villes jumelées |date=21 October 2014 |publisher=Mairie d'honneur de Toulon |language=fr |access-date=2015-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215081906/http://www.toulon.fr/toulon-pratique/article/jumelages |archive-date=15 February 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

*{{flag icon|Italy}} [[La Spezia]], Italy, since 1958 <ref name="Toulon twinning">{{cite web | url = https://www.toulon.fr/toulon-pratique/article/jumelages | title = Jumelages {{vertical line}} Site officiel de la ville de Toulon | website = Toulon | date = 21 October 2014 | access-date = June 11, 2024}}</ref>
*{{flag icon|Germany}} [[Mannheim]], Germany, since 1958<ref name="Toulon twinning"/><ref name="Mannheim twinnings">{{cite web|url=https://www.mannheim.de/stadt-gestalten/partnerstaedte-staedtepartnerschaften-partnerstadt|title=Partner und Freundesstädte|access-date=2013-07-26|work=Stadt Mannheim|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108234147/https://www.mannheim.de/stadt-gestalten/partnerstaedte-staedtepartnerschaften-partnerstadt|archive-date=8 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
*{{flag icon|USA}} [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], United States, since 1988<ref name="Toulon twinning"/>
*{{flag icon|Russia}} [[Kronstadt]], Russia, since 1996<ref name="Toulon twinning"/>

==See also==
*[[Communes of the Var department]]
*[[Rafiot]] - a type of fishing vessel from Toulon

==References==

===Bibliography===
{{See also|Timeline of Toulon#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Toulon}}
* Michel Vergé-Franceschi, Toulon – Port Royal (1481–1789). Tallandier: Paris, 2002.
*Aldo Bastié, ''Histoire de la Provence'', Éditions Ouest-France, 2001.
*Cyrille Roumagnac, ''L'Arsenal de Toulon et la Royale'', Éditions Alan Sutton, 2001
*[[Jean-Pierre Thiollet]], ''Le Chevallier à découvert'', Paris, Laurens, 1998
* [[Maurice Arreckx]], ''Vivre sa ville'', Paris, La Table ronde, 1982; ''Toulon, ma passion'', 1985

===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|Toulon}}
*{{wikivoyage-inline|Toulon}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130310150708/http://www.france.fr/en/regions-and-cities/toulon-between-military-tradition-and-touristic-modernity Toulon : between military tradition and touristic modernity] – Official French website (in English)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060614183102/http://www.toulon.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.toulontourisme.com The Tourism Office of Toulon web site]

{{Cities in France}}
{{Préfectures of départements of France}}
{{Var communes}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Toulon| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Communes of Var (department)]]
[[Category:Prefectures in France]]
[[Category:Vauban fortifications in France]]
[[Category:Cities in France]]