Cotignac is a working village with great charm. It is believed to have its origins in a Celtic-Ligurian settlement. Abandoned during Roman times, it was resettled by a Jewish community in the fifth century.

The two imposing Saracen towers just behind the house, and at the edge of the cliff overlooking the village, are said to date from the twelfth century. The silk industry made Cotignac prosperous from the seventeenth century to the end of the nineteenth century.

An outstanding market is held every Tuesday. Fresh beautiful fruits and vegetables, heaps of green, black, and purple olives, olive oils of various blends and flavours, a feast of cheeses, truffles, herbs and spices, charcuterie, Provencal fabrics and pottery, baskets, are spread out under the huge old plane trees in the Cours Gambetta. Be sure to look for Stephanie and Didier, who sell delicious roast chickens and ham.

You will find almost everything you need in the village: three bakeries, two butchers, a fishmonger, a grocery store, a fromagerie, a newsagent, an amazing hardware store, a bank, a post office, a pharmacy, hair salons, gift shops, a number of excellent restaurants, dentist, and a doctor. The pompieres will rescue you in an emergency.