Saint-Paul-de-Vence (fr . St-Paul-de-Vence, oks . Sant Pau de Vença) is a medieval fortified village that, thanks to its famous guests and inhabitants, has become a "live" gallery of art and Mecca of art dealers of the Côte d'Azur . Walking through the narrow picturesque small streets of the village, from the Royal to the South Gates along the pedestrian Grand street, you will find magnificent stone facades of the 16th and 18th centuries with elaborately decorated portals of window openings and doors, private well-kept gardens, miniature medieval Square with ancient fountains and, soaring into the sky, whitewashed walls of chapels . And, of course, you will discover a lot of handicraft shops, artistic workshops where you can get acquainted with local artists, and art galleries of the highest level . Here you can find works of famous artists and sculptors of the twentieth century, somehow connected their lives with Nice and with this secluded corner of the French Riviera .
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How to get to Saint-Pol-de-Vence
The village is located on a picturesque mountain peak 20 km from Nice . You can get here by car or bus from Nice (Gare Routiere, direction to Vence, 4 EUR, 40 min.). Buses run with a break in 40-60 minutes, so it's better to see the schedule in advance. On the way back for the ticket you can pay with the driver.
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A little history
Saint-Paul-de-Vence arose at the turn 8 century, as a fortified refuge ("stone nest"), fleeing from the Saracens, the inhabitants of the coast. In 1538, by order of Francis I, this outpost was surrounded by a fortress wall. The village did not differ much in architecture and local way of life from the many neighboring settlements and could remain only a "nice cozy outpost" near the Riviera, but in the 1920s this place, perhaps due to picturesque landscapes and panoramas, was chosen by artists from Paris: Signac, Bonnard, Utrillo, Modigliani, etc.
They stayed at the Hotel La Colombe D'Or, often paying the price for their work . The owner of the hotel, Paul Ruau, definitely did not stay in the hotel the loser: now the hotel is owner m of an impressive collection of works by such world famous artists as Utrillo, Vlaminck, Dufy, Bonnard, Soutine, Picasso, Modigliani, Cocteau and Chagall . These pictures are quietly hung around the hotel, including in the rooms, and are already inseparable part of the unique artistic atmosphere of the "Golden Dove" . So the hotel and the village itself turned into a cult place of admirers of fine arts .
In the 50s, the charm of the artistic world of Saint-Paul-de-Vence attracted famous film actors, writers and intellectuals. So in the Golden Dove Brigitte Bardot, Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, Bert Lancaster, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir began to visit. Here they met and celebrated their wedding Yves Montand and Simona Signoret, who bought a legendary hotel and restaurant in a few years. In Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Marc Chagall and the author of Lady Chatterley's Lover, David Herbert Lawrence, spent their final years living.
Capt. Chetok Henri Matisse
One of the most striking architectural landmarks of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is the snow-capped Chetok chapel, built and decorated in 1947-1951 by the designs and sketches of Henri Matisse.
After a difficult operation, transferred by the artist in 1941 in the Lyons Clinic, Matisse was courted by a Dominican nun named Mari-Anzh .About Matisse, she later said that she "never saw a more courageous, even heroic, nor more delicate patient" .The artist, in turn, admitted to her that he would like to express his gratitude to create a chapel project .According to Marie-Ange, he filled many sheets of large albums with architectural sketches, sketches of paintings, stained-glass windows and sculptures and even church vestments .Little by little, the contours of the future church began to appear on paper, returning the life force and creativity to the master .
After some time, the artist returned to the hotel "Regina" in Nice, where he settled since 1938, and was followed by nurse Monique Bourgeois, who, after taking tonsure at the Dominican monastery in Vence, introduced Matisse to the priest Pierre Couturier, "a man of inspiration and a true reformer of church art. " Thus, a miniature chapel appeared with a minimalist modest decoration and an extravaganza of colors and sunlight on stained-glass windows and mosaics.
| Fortress wall |
| Chapel of the Brotherhood of the Penitent Sinners |
| Museum Foundation Mahe |
Museum Foundation Mahe
The Fondation Maeght is one of the most famous and beautiful small museums in the world. The temple of art of the twentieth century, which in 1964 was opened by a Parisian publisher, collector and major art dealer Aime Maeght (Aime Maeght) in a beautiful pine grove in a half-kilometer from Saint-Paul-de-Vence. The exposition includes paintings by Bonnard, Braque, Matisse, Chagall, Kandinsky, Leger, sculptures and mosaics of Miró, Arp, Calder, Giacometti.
But the Mahe Foundation is notable not only for the unique collection of the best works of fine and plastic art of the twentieth century, but also for the curious architecture of the Catalan Jose Lluis Sert. In the design of the museum complex, friends and "art advisors" of the collector took part: glass mosaics restored in the neighborhood, a chapel and a fountain in the sculpture garden were created by Marriage, the design of furniture in a small garden cafe was developed by Giacometti, and Chagall executed a mosaic mural for the main building of the fund
A special "find" of the sculpture garden is the observation platform, which allows you to enjoy the surrounding panorama and works of art at the same time. And the local library, numbering more than 30 000 volumes devoted to contemporary art, is open for free visit.
Schedule of work and tariffs of the Mahe Foundation
Every day from October to March from 10.00 to 18.00 (3.00-14.00 - lunch time), from April to June from 10.00 to 18.00 and from July to September from 10.00 to 19.00. Full rate - 14 EUR, preferential for group visits (from 10 people), students and teenagers from 10 to 18 years - 9 EUR. 5 euros - photographing. More information on the website or by phone: 33 (0) 4 93 32 81 63.
Chapel of the Brotherhood of the Penitent Sinners
Another real treasure of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is the Chapelle des Pénitiens Blancs (Chapelle des Pénitiens Blancs) brotherhood, dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Here are preserved the unique frescoes of Giovanni Canavesio, one of the best representatives of the little-studied school of primitivists of Nice.
In the neighborhood of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is the picturesque provencal town of La Colle-sur-Loup, which is famous on the French coast for its perfumery compositions from the "May Rose" and the quarter of antique dealers and artists near the street Klein (rue Klein). Photos Saint-Paul-de-Vence (11)