Published in 1860 by a French lawyer named Raymond Poulle in a publication titled “Bulletin de la Société d’Études Scientifiques et Archéologiques de la Ville de Draguignan” (Bulletin of the Society of Scientific and Archaeological Studies of the City of Draguignan).
Founded in 1855, the Société d’Études Scientifiques et Archéologiques de la Ville de Draguignan (Society of Scientific and Archaeological Studies of the City of Draguignan) was a learned society dedicated to the study, preservation, and publication of historical, archaeological, and scientific research relating to Provence, and particularly to the Var and neighboring departments. Its Bulletin—issued in numbered volumes from the mid-19th century onward—served as the society’s annual or biennial publication.
Each volume compiled scholarly articles, research notes, transcriptions of archival documents, and reports of archaeological discoveries. The contents often drew on contributions from local historians, clergy, and members of the Société française d’archéologie or the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques. Topics ranged from Roman inscriptions, medieval charters, and Provençal genealogies to studies of saints’ lives, local monuments, and natural history.
Because many articles published in the Bulletin were based on primary sources otherwise inaccessible to the public—such as unpublished manuscripts in parish or municipal archives—the series became, and remains, a valuable resource for historians of Provence.
In Volume III of the Bulletin, compiling works from 1860 and 1861, a lawyer by the name of Raymond Poulle wrote a review of the recently published history of Vence by Abbé François-Alexandre Tisserand titled Histoire de Vence (History of Vence). This work is the most comprehensive 19th-century account of the city’s past, covering its history from antiquity to the French Revolution. Drawing on parish registers, diocesan archives, notarial acts, and unpublished manuscripts, Tisserand presents a detailed chronicle of Vence’s civic and ecclesiastical development. His narrative gives special attention to the cathedral, its chapter, and notable bishops such as Saint Véran, Saint Lambert, and Bishop Godeau, while also recording key political events, local figures, and the influence of regional powers.
Though written in the formal style of its era, the book remains a cornerstone reference for historians and researchers. It is still consulted as a foundational source on Vence’s religious and civic past, particularly for its verbatim reproductions of archival documents that are no longer available. Over the years, however, Tisserand has faced criticism. Some sections of his work have been shown to contain errors, and he is often faulted for failing to cite his sources. As a priest, he has at times been accused of shaping historical narratives to align with his own perspective. Nevertheless, more than 150 years after its publication, his work endures as one of the most influential and significant histories of the city of Vence.
Poulle praises Tisserand’s work as both broad in historical scope and rich in local detail, something he points out is a rare combination. He highlights how the book situates Vence’s history—from its Roman origins to modern times—within the larger currents of Provençal and French history, while also delving into the intimate life of the city. He commends Tisserand’s ten years of meticulous research, relying on well-preserved municipal archives and drawing skillfully from diverse sources. In fact, at fifteen pages, this is really more than just a simple “review.” Poulle spends much of the time recapping the information on Vence’s history from Tisserand’s book.
Poulle does have a few minor criticisms of the book. He acknowledges that some readers might wish for more descriptive passages, but he emphasizes that the book’s greatest strength lies in its historical precision and impartiality. He also says that “some statistical details on the state of Vence at various periods would also have completed this study,” and he regrets that Tisserand “did not indicate, at the bottom of the pages, the sources from which he borrowed the details he reveals to us, most of which were previously unpublished.” Overall, Poulle considers it a significant and authoritative work, one that will remain a reference for anyone interested in the region’s past.
Download a high quality PDF reproduction of the original manuscript (1mb)
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[click on any image to see sample pages of the original version]