In 1989, when the Domaine du Rayol was acquired by the Conservatoire du Littoral, no local authority offered to manage the site and so the Domaine du Rayol Association was set up to that end. An agreement was drawn up, setting out the terms and aims of the partnership between the Conservatoire du Littoral and the Association.
Here are some facts and figures which show the Domaine du Rayol Association’s achievements over a period of almost thirty years; today, it is 90% self-financing:
- 1.8 million visitors since it opened in 1989.
- 90,000 visitors every year.
- 30 staff employed throughout the year.
- Open 364 days per year.
- Qualité Tourisme and Jardin Remarquable listings.
Board of Directors
As in any association, the general assembly is sovereign. It meets at least every year. It elects from among itself a board of directors, half of which are renewed every two years. Here are the members of the Board of Directors:
- François AUBERT
- Christian DESPLATS
- André DEL MONTE
- Jean-Laurent FELIZIA
- Guy HELBERT
- Catherine COURT
- Patrick CHATRIEUX
- Jean-Pierre CLARAC
- Cécile GRAS
- Joseph CHAFEY (as a member of the Association des Amis du Rayol Canadel)
The Office
In order to monitor the implementation of the objectives, the Board of Directors elects an office from among its members. This meets at least once a month with the director of the Association. Its members are as follows:
- Président : André DEL MONTE
- Vice-président : François AUBERT
- Secrétaire : Jean-Laurent FELIZIA
- Trésorière : Catherine COURT
The team
Furthermore, the site is managed by a team made up of 25 permanent employees of the association, led by Sybille BERNARD. From its creation, the Domaine du Rayol association was asked to find most of its financing. Today, the association is 85% self-financing. The supplement is provided by the State, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, the Var Department and the Rayol Town Hall. In total, more than fifteen different professions work daily at Domaine du Rayol.
The Technical Committee
Finally, a Technical Committee, led by the Conservatoire du littoral and Gilles CLÉMENT, honorary president of the association, takes place 2 times a year. It allows us to continue to keep Le Jardin des Méditerranées alive, a garden in perpetual motion. It is a special time much appreciated between Gilles CLÉMENT and the technical team, and in particular the gardeners. Furthermore, according to needs, the technical team calls on external expertise which thus strengthens the knowledge and know-how of the staff.
