Saint-Paul-de-Vence, located 15 minutes from the coast, was once a refuge from Saracen raids. Today, the well-preserved city walls, built by order of Francis I in the 16th century, give a pleasant medieval atmosphere.

From there open great views on the sea, on landscapes of olive and cypress trees and villas with red roofs.

The surrounding countryside and Mediterranean climate allowed the medieval walled city to flourish thanks to orange, fig trees, olives, and grapes. And now tourism brings many visitors to this beautiful place. The town is one of the most famous and still beautiful fortified city-fortress on the French Riviera.

Town for artists and movie stars

Saint-Paul-de-Vence fell into disrepair after the 17th century. He attracted artists here with his magnificent panoramas in an unsurpassed quality of light. Modigliani, Soutine, Andre Derain, Henri Le Sidane, Paul Signac, Marc Chagall were inspired here.

Famous movie stars began to visit the city from the 1940s. Major French and international film producers have used Saint-Paul-de-Vence as a backdrop for films. For example, the 1965 film Moment by Moment starring Jean Seberg, Honor Blackman and the 2004 film The Big Kiss leading role Billy Zane has been filmed in some iconic places Saint-Paul-de-Vence, including the Café de la Place and the square Big Fountain(Place de la Grande Fontaine).

Artistic Attractions

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a fabulous place with many artistic attractions, with over 30 artists' studios and art galleries interspersed along the cobbled streets.

Golden Dove Hotel and Restaurant (La Colombe d’Or)

In the 1920s, there was a hotel in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, today called the "Golden Dove". When poor artists began to visit the village, they stayed at this hotel and paid for food and lodging with their work.

Now the hotel is the owner of the works of such world famous artists as Utrillo, Vlaminck, Dufy, Bonnard, Soutine, Picasso, Modigliani, Cocteau, Chagall. As a result, both the village itself and the Golden Dove Hotel have become a cult destination for fine art aficionados.

Today, the Golden Dove Hotel restaurant is a favorite haunt of celebrities. Here you can enjoy traditional dishes and paintings by famous artists.

In the museum local history(Musée d'Historie Locale) there are old photographs of movie stars who visited the hotel-restaurant "Golden Dove" - ​​Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve and Greta Garbo. Restaurant reservations must be made in advance, especially during peak season.

Foundation Maeght

Designed by Spanish architect Josep Lluís Sert, the Mag Foundation opened in 1964. The striking building is framed by magnificent landscapes and surrounded by gardens, ponds and Mediterranean trees.

The Magic Foundation was founded by Margarita and Aimé Mag. They had an extensive collection of over 9,000 works of art, and in addition received in their museum contemporary art and sculptures, many priceless works of artists and sculptors, including Bonnard, Giacometti, Léger, Miro and Chagall's popular works - "Life" ("La Vie") and "Lovers" ("Les Amoureux").

The museum's permanent collection includes garden sculptures, indoor galleries, and temporary exhibitions during the summer. Artists who provided their works for the museum's exhibitions also contributed to the decoration of the building - Paul Bury's fountain, Miro's ceramic tiles, stained glass windows of Braque and Hubac and Chagall's mosaics.

Tip: If you plan to visit the many attractions on the French Riviera, purchase the Côte d'Azur Card to save on entry fees for activities and attractions.

The card can be purchased online or at regional tourist offices. With this card, you will also have free admission to the best attractions of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, including the Fondation Mag, the Folon Chapel and the Museum of Local History.

Folon Chapel

The 17th-century Chapel of the Confraternity of the White Penitents in Saint-Paul de Vence has walls and ceilings decorated with paintings by the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon and is sometimes referred to as the Folon Chapel. The chapel boasts sculptures and flamboyant pastel mosaic paintings by Folon. Folon, who has been associated with Saint-Paul-de-Vence for over 30 years, worked very closely with local artisans.

Cemetery Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Marc Chagall

The artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985) settled in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in 1966 and built the villa "La Colline" there. He also stayed at the charming Hôtel Le Hameau near Saint-Paul-de-Vence. This is a hotel with antique Provencal furniture and fabulous views of the city and the surrounding countryside.

Chagall died in 1985 and was buried in the Saint-Paul-de-Vence cemetery, which is located at the far end of the city opposite South Gate(Porte Sud). Like other Jewish graves, his grave has small stones placed on it by visitors.

Galleries and artists' studios

Whether you're looking for contemporary sculptures, breathtaking landscapes, or abstract sketches, you're sure to find something special to buy and take home with you. You can find craft shops, art galleries and artists' workshops in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, which are open every day of the year, including Sundays and holidays which is rare on the French Riviera.

Other places of interest

The Café de la Place is a famous cafe in Saint-Paul-de-Vence where you can stop during the warmer months, have a glass of rosé, watch a game of petanque played under shady plane trees.

Great Fountain Square (Place de la Grande Fontaine)

Located along the Grand Street (la rue Grande - the main street Saint-Paul-de-Vence), this square was always busy - in the 17th century, the townspeople brought their mules to give them water to drink. Nearby, in a stone washbasin, local laundresses washed clothes. The urn-shaped Provencal fountain is considered one of the most photographed objects in the city. Restaurant La Fontaine is a lovely restaurant with a beautiful terrace overlooking the fountain and is the perfect shady spot for a glass of wine or coffee.

Hotel Restaurant Le Saint-Paul

The restaurant at the five-star hotel Le Saint Paul is a pleasant escape from the tourists treading the stone streets of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. It serves light Mediterranean cuisine. The dining room features a 17th-century fountain. On the south side there is a terrace with flowers where you can dine al fresco.

Malabar Restaurant

Cozy restaurant located on the western slopes of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. You can choose from a menu of flavorful dishes, including tapas or ricotta. Open from Thursday to Tuesday. This is one of the best places in Saint-Paul-de-Vence with breathtaking views from the outside terrace, although there is room for only two outside tables.

How to get to Saint-Paul-de-Vence

By car:

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is popular place excursions for guests of a charter yacht moored in Cannes, Antibes, Nice or Monaco.

From Cannes or Antibes, take the A8 motorway - exit 47 (Villeneuve Loubet, Cagnes sur Mer, Vence) or from Nice / Monaco / Italy, take the A8 motorway - exit 48. Follow the signs for "La Colle sur Loup / Vence": RD436 . Saint Paul de Vence is located between La Colle sur Loup and Vence, 15 minutes from the motorway.

On the public transport:

Saint-Paul-de-Vence can be reached from Nice by bus number 400, which passes through Saint-Paul-de-Vence and then goes to the city of Vence, the trip takes about 1 hour.

By train:

not near the village railway station. The nearest train station is Cagnes-sur-Mer, from where you can take bus number 400.

To discuss renting either or Monaco, contact Cofrance.

Not far from Nice, literally 20 km to the west, among the green hills covered with dense pine forests, is one of the most picturesque and charming towns of Provence - St. Paul de Vence. In this town, everything pleases the eye, everything delights, everything surprises - both the massive fortress walls framing the city, and the medieval buildings built of local stone that create a unique color, and numerous art galleries located in this ancient splendor, representing, it seems, the entire palette of artistic creativity. . The city - a fortress, the city of craftsmen, the city of artists and artists, Saint Paul is known far beyond the borders of France as unique place where, under a piercing blue sky, the generous nature of the south of France, its history and art come together.

The town arose in the 11th century as a small fortress near the sea coast, then in the 16th century, during the reign of King Francis the First, it was surrounded by a solid fortress wall and turned into a southern outpost of the French Kingdom.

After the annexation of Nice to France in 1860, it lost its strategic importance. royal fortress and turned into a nice place away from the hustle and bustle of the coast, favorite place rest and inspiration of the artistic elite of Europe. At the beginning of the last century, such unique masters as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Chaim Soutine, Georges Braque, Juan Miro, Paul Signac, Amedeo Madiliani, Maurice Utrillo, Pierre Bonnard, Fernand Léger lived and worked here……

Among the contemporary masters who have adorned the city are Theo Tobias, Guliano Mancini, Luc Troezen, Remy Pesca and Michel Folon, and poets such as Jacques Prevert and Andre Verde sang about him. World famous writers - Simone de Beauvoir, Colette, Andre Gide, Jean Paul Sartre, Paul Valery and many others lived here for a long time, enjoying the local hospitality and drawing their inspiration in a peaceful atmosphere.

In the post-war period, the town was chosen by the cinematic elite of France, Yves Montana and Simone Signoret, Ariel Dombasle and Bernard Levy, Lino Ventura, Fernandel, Gerard Philippe and many others who fell under the spell of this amazing place knew the narrow medieval streets.

But among the recognized geniuses of world art, there is one whose life and fate are forever intertwined with St. Paul de Vence. This is Marc Chagall.

Chagall fell in love with the Cote d'Azur of France during his first visits to the coast after his final emigration to Europe. "Je remercie le destin de m'avoir conduit sur les bords de la Méditerrané" - "I thank the fate that brought me to this coast," he wrote. In the post-war period, he was a frequent visitor to the south of France, lived for a long time in Vence and Nice, but already in 1966 he finally moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he built the villa "La Colline" on a hillside near the entrance to the city. A small stone-paved path leads from the villa to the fortress walls of St. Paul, along which Chagall walked to the town almost daily, enjoying the stunning panorama of both the fortress itself and the opening sea coast. Often, wanting to capture the landscape he liked, the purity and transparency of the air surrounding its enchanting atmosphere, he stopped right on the path and painted, painted ... This is how a unique series of paintings arose, which can probably be called “Views of St. Paul”.



Chagall is, first of all, colors, the most incredible, bright, unexpected, a real riot of colors. I love to look at these amazingly colorful paintings, in which, through the captured landscape, love flows clearly and tangibly, the artist’s love for his beloved, the enchanting southern sky, for life ... These paintings are like a dream, a fabulous dream, magical and unique ...

And the more pleasure it is to walk along this path in search of places from where the master wrote his masterpieces.

It is best to walk in the footsteps of Chagall in the spring, in April or May, when acacias, wisteria and orange trees bloom wildly around, filling the air with a heady aroma ... The path winds between the trees and the stone walls of old Provencal houses, winding, going down and up the hillside. After the next turn, you suddenly come to a point from which a charming and somewhat familiar view of St. Paul opens - well, of course, it was here that Chagall wrote his "Lovers over St. Paul"!



The municipality of the town put up reproductions of Chagall's paintings in some places two years ago, so now you can even compare the painting and the original.



All the first floors of this amazing fortress town have been turned into art galleries, boutiques, shops with souvenirs and local gastronomic products. The most interesting thing is that here, along with high art and the works of recognized masters, one can see both frankly primitive and timid attempts by emerging artists to present their works for review. Paintings, oil, watercolor, graphics, sculptures, bronze, glass, crystal, lithographs by well-known and recognized artists, exhibited behind the windows, all mixed into a single colorful, colorful and attractive canvas.



Expositions are constantly updated, old workshops are closed, but new and interesting names appear. The level of some galleries is amazing - Dali's sculptural compositions are exhibited in a small showcase, yes, these are the originals, yes, they are for sale, although the price bites. The hostess with a laugh suggests buying as soon as possible, since in a couple of weeks everything will be sorted out. One word - crisis...





And the street runs further and leads straight to a small municipal cemetery, hidden behind the trunks of impressive centuries-old plane trees. It was here, after living in St. Paul for almost 20 years, that our compatriot, the great artist Marc Chagall, rested and sleeps forever. His grave is surprisingly modest, on a marble slab, decorated with barely distinguishable angel wings, dates of life - 1887 -1985. He did not quite live up to his century, saving up to last days amazing creativity and vitality. Next to him lies his last muse, his second legal wife, Valentina Brodskaya, better known as Vava Chagall. This is her image flying over St. Paul, the artist captured on his canvases. Or maybe it depicts his first lover, Bella Chagall, who died so tragically and suddenly in 1944 in America? Now no one will ever know...



Immediately from the cemetery, a narrow path, winding and bending around the fortress walls, leads to a small hill with an abandoned, blackened wooden bench from time to time. Silence, no one, only a bee buzzes quietly, flying from flower to flower, but from afar comes bell ringing. Suddenly, the ear picks up a familiar melody from these sounds - “Moscow Nights”.

Dream? Have we quietly fallen asleep on this magic bench?

The singing is getting louder, it comes from the house in the valley, surrounded by cherry blossoms. The discordant choir diligently brings out everyone’s favorite song and we, no longer surprised by anything, mindlessly soar, enjoying the light breeze, the smell of irises and acacias, somewhere between heaven and earth, in the clouds, above the incomparable enchanting San Pol.

Those wishing to walk in the footsteps of the great artists of the Côte d'Azur - a rendezvous on the site www.guides-azur.org

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a small pretty medieval town in the Alps, the impressions of which we have somewhat diverged. But before going to the mountains, we had a little more ride around the outskirts of Cannes.

Content:

Our reports are written by Tanya, and I only supplement the text with inserts highlighted in green italics.

6. Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Morning in Cannes again began with the sea. It was so warm and wonderful that I later regretted more than once that I had succumbed to Serezha's persuasion in the afternoon, instead of the beach, to go to the mountain village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

In Cannes, we also had a few sights left, so in the afternoon we went to the Grand Jas cemetery, where the first burials date back to 1866 and, in addition, several famous people are laid to rest. Unfortunately, at the entrance there is no map with the names of the buried, as, for example, was done in the cemetery near the church of Peter and Paul, where Kafka is buried. Therefore, we did not find any of the famous personalities - neither the jeweler Carl Faberge, nor the writer Prosper Merimee, nor Olga Ruiz-Picasso - the first wife of the famous artist, nor the pilot Nikolai Popov, who in 1910 was the first to fly over the Lerenes Islands, nor the microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who proposed pasteurization technology.

But we noticed how many centenarians are buried here. Every tenth lived more than ninety years, and a few people - more than a hundred. Probably, the ability to live in comfortable conditions still affects life expectancy.

Well, so, Grand Jas is an ordinary European cemetery, which is nothing special.

In the Grand Jas area, Cannes is like an average southern European city. Here you don’t feel that literally a kilometer away the streets are bursting with expensive restaurants and hotels. On the contrary, we hardly found where to dine. It turned out to be a cheap pizzeria run by Arabs. The taste of pizza corresponded to the few euros paid for it - we, frankly, were not delighted.

And after lunch, we went to see the villa of the popular French fashion designer Pierre Cardin. It is also called the Bubble Palace and looks amazing in the photos. We entered “Boulevard de l” Esterel, 33” into the navigator and arrived in the wrong place, because we had to go to a neighboring village called Théoule-sur-Mer, and we ended up on a boulevard with the same name in Cannes. And, of course , did not see anything unusual, except for a large white cat posing for us from the window of one of the houses.

As we found out later, Pierre Cardin's villa is located at 33 Boulevard de l "Esterel 06590 Théoule-sur-Me, coordinates N43.488579, E6.943510.

But, there is nothing to do, and we went to Saint-Paul-de-Vence. The road from Cannes took us only 50 minutes and was pretty nice.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a medieval village perched on a mountain, which became famous largely due to the fact that in the 20th century it was chosen by such personalities as Modigliani, Chagall and Picasso. Thanks to them, Saint-Paul-de-Vence has become a cult destination for fans of the fine arts and a must-see for celebrities who come to Provence. Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Sartre, and many others have been here.

Now it's just a nice little town, consisting of several streets, which somehow reminded me of San Marino. Here everything is for tourists - an atmosphere of comfort, preserved and restored medieval squares with fountains, chapels and stone facades, hundreds of restaurants and coffee houses, shops with souvenirs, paintings, wine and jewelry.

Our acquaintance with Saint-Paul-de-Vence began with unusual sculptures. Blue women, pink elephants, robot cats - they are everywhere.

Having parked the car in a paid parking lot (2.5 hours cost us 9 euros), we walked along the fortress wall to the cemetery. The fortress walls of Saint-Paul-de-Vence were built in the middle of the 16th century, they form a ring only 1 km long - you can imagine the size of the village. This is one of the first bastions of France.

The cemetery of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is interesting because Marc Chagall, who lived here for the last twenty years of his life, is buried there.

There is also a Collegiate Church, the construction of which stretched from the 14th to the 18th century. She is very pretty on the inside.

But the main attractions of Saint-Paul-de-Vence are, of course, its streets, which you want to wander around without any maps, just admiring the stone facades, small galleries, stopping at the windows of cozy shops, inhaling the smell of coffee and pancakes roasted in numerous pancake shops. .

We went to one of these shops and bought a lot of memorabilia and useful little things- several sets of Provence herbs, eau de toilette from Grasse, the capital of perfumery, olives and lavender honey, tomato-basil sauce. Found and wine Vault, in which they bought alcohol, which they read about in the same book “Provence from A to Z”, - pastis and Beaumes-de-Venise muscat wine, which really turned out to be one of the most delicious we have tried. But it also costs accordingly - 14 euros for a bottle of 0.375 liters.

We had lunch there, in the pancake shop, located under the arch of one of the houses. Made my little dream come true - to eat pancakes in a cozy atmospheric place in France.

The town is literally filled with cute little details. The gaze stops either at a very pretty mailbox, or at beautiful old vases put on the windowsill for everyone to see, or at an unusual sculpture in the back of a courtyard of a house. All this creates the atmosphere of such towns and villages, and that is why I want to return to them again and again.

And on the way back to the parking lot, we watched how men - old and not very old - play the national French game petanque, the meaning of which is that the players of two teams take turns throwing metal balls, trying to place their ball as close as possible next to a small wooden ball , called a cochonnet (from the French word for "pig"). In this case, the metal ball can hit the jack or knock down the opponent's ball to push him away. The main thing is that at the end of the game one or more of the team's balls are closer to the jack than the opponent's balls. One point is awarded for each such ball.

Before the onset of cold weather, we often play petanque at work during our lunch break. I can responsibly say that despite the outward simplicity of the game, the process is incredibly gambling!

In general, Saint-Paul-de-Vence left, of course, a positive impression. But since I had already seen similar villages, I was not very interested, and I would have preferred to spend this day on the beach. But if you've never seen anything like it, it's definitely worth a trip.

And I really like such medieval villages, even though I also happened to be in such places more than once. There is something in them. Cozy and soulful.

It is impossible to come to Nice for a holiday and not visit Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a small, picturesque village located just a few kilometers from the city. This village is a real, living work of art, here every street has its own charm.

A bit of history

The settlement was founded in the 8th century by settlers from the coast. People who lived on the coast were constantly raided by the Saracens, they were forced to flee in the mountains, where they founded new fortified villages, one of them was Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Many years later, when the settlement became part of France, by order of King Francis 1, the outpost acquired a stone wall and was recognized as important. strategic object. Perhaps this town would have remained an ordinary outpost if famous artists of the 20th century had not loved it. Artists from all over France came here in droves, trying to find their inspiration here.

All these celebrities stayed in the only hotel since unusual name"Golden Dove" Many guests paid for the shelter with their copyrighted works. Now the hotel has turned into a real gallery. Here you can see the works of such famous artists as Picasso, Modigliani, Dufy, Bonnard, Chagall. The last of them loved this place so much that he lived here the rest of his life, and was buried in the local cemetery. Over the years, the popularity of this picturesque town has only grown, now here you can meet celebrities from all over the world.

Attractions

The whole village consists of houses from the 16th-18th centuries, each of them is a piece of history in itself. Now these buildings house artists' workshops and art galleries dedicated to various artists.

Aix en Provence

On the squares of Saint-Paul-de-Vence you can see various sculptures by famous masters, one of them is an authentic copy of The Thinker made by Rodin himself. The original sculpture is kept in the Musée Rodin in Paris.

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Guide to Paris and France

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Outside the city there is a pine grove in which the Mayo Foundation is located. This building is real. architectural masterpiece, it was built by the Catalan architect José Louis Sert. They also like to call it "The Louvre on Cote d'Azur". This gallery contains paintings by artists who worked in the 20th century.

The world-famous Golden Dove Hotel is located within the city. The hotel has thirty rooms and twenty suites. Famous artists, actors, poets and writers constantly stop here. At one time it stayed: Alain Delon, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and many others.

Where to go in Saint-Paul-de-Vence?

This small town is very fond of tourists, so in order not to stand in traffic jams for hours, and not to participate in the crush in public transport, it is best to come here early in the morning. The city has several viewing platforms from them you can admire the beauty of the Alpes-Maritimes and the valley of Provence.

The settlement is full of various restaurants and cafes, each of which allows you to touch the art and get inspiration. But do not be deceived by starvation here, no one shines. Here they like to cook not only beautiful, but also delicious dishes. The favorite delicacy of the inhabitants of this town is sea bass with fennel (grilled stuffed fish). Speaking of food, one cannot fail to mention la porqueta (baked suckling pig) and panis (chickpea flour dough, fried until golden brown).

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Guide to Paris and France

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Drinkers simply must visit the wine cellar in the heart of the city. It was built back in the 14th century, the most big collection Provencal wines. Here you can taste the best vintage wines from all over France or buy them as a souvenir.

Holidays

No self-respecting city can do without themed holidays, there are more than 15 in Saint-Paul-de-Vanstacks. The most interesting of them are:

• Christmas market in December;
• chestnut festival in October;
• day cultural heritage in September;
• Saint Clair's Day in August;
• a competition of the Provençal game of pentac and a ball in July;
• outdoor festival in summer;
• Saint Jacques Day in June;
• Poets' Day in March;
• exhibitions at the Mayo Foundation Gallery in winter and summer.

It has simply extraordinary, a small town that has become a place of pilgrimage for connoisseurs of fine art, attracts the eyes of travelers and fascinates them for more than a century. The medieval fortified city, which remembers King Francis I himself, even preserved the architecture of those times - narrow pedestrian streets, powerful fortifications and defensive ramparts, watchtowers, stone fountains...

La Colombe d'Or Hotel

The hotel is located at the entrance to Saint-Paul-de-Vence. It consists of thirteen rooms and twelve suites, prices vary from 335 to 530 euros (depending on the season). La Colombe d "Or closes for the winter from the end of October, with the only exception being the opening at Christmas.

The hotel is famous all over the world thanks to the history of accommodating talented guests, many of whom, as we have already said above, paid for the service with their work.

In the interior of the restaurant at the hotel, masterpieces specially written by eminent Picasso, Miró and Braque are open for viewing.

Address: 06570 Saint-Paul de Vence, France, tel. +33.(0)4.93.32.80.02

Mayo Foundation

Another interesting object of interest in Saint Paul de Vence is the Museum of Contemporary Art - the Mayo Foundation (Maeght Foundation). Getting to know its exhibits can fill the whole day. The foundation's exquisite collection, which includes an entire Miró sculpture garden, is displayed both indoors and outdoors. It is best to visit the museum on days with good weather.

Working hours: daily, 10:00 - 18:30.

The address: 623 Chemin des Gardettes, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, tel. +33 49 332 8163.

In addition to the attractions listed above, we recommend visiting other interesting places in the town.

Saint Paul de Vence sights and interesting places on the map

1. Olive mill

Olive oil production is still one of the most important sources of income local residents. This craft is an important part of the attractions of Saint Paul de Vence. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, 5 olive mills and two flour mills functioned on the territory of the settlement. The oil was used in the cooking process, they illuminated houses, and large supplies of olive gold were carried out in neighboring Marseille.

2. Esperon Tower

Esperon is one of the most interesting places in Saint Paul de Vence. At one time, it served not only as a fortification, but also served as a powder warehouse for the fortress.

Esperon Tower, photo

3. Gate of Vance

In French, the name of the ancient fortification walls sounds like "Porte de Vence", because the huge stone entrance to the old part of the town is oriented towards the city of Vence. I must say that the remains of the medieval walls of Saint Paul have survived to this day.

Gate of Vence, photo

The tower above the gate was equipped with several powerful defenses - stone-throwing machines in the upper part, a crossbow on the north side and a harrow, from which an old fragment has been preserved, available for viewing. The upper part of the tower, built of brick, was probably added at the request of the military engineer Vauban.

4. Dauphin Bastion

Together with the Royal Bastion in front of it, the Dauphine Bastion protected the northern entrance to the city in the 16th century. The cannons mounted on the bastion prevented the advance of the enemy. Today, one of them, nicknamed Lacan, in honor of one of the artillerymen of that time who served under Francis I, has survived. The cannon can still be seen today, it emerges from the embrasure.

5. The ramparts of Saint Paul

These are one of the first examples of defensive bastion structures built in France (1543-1574) and designed by a French architect. The bastion fence cost the residents of the settlement dearly - dozens of residential buildings had to be demolished and more than 450 residents were forced to leave their homes. In 1945, the bastions of Saint Paul were included in the list historical monuments, they have become a real architectural gem of the city.

6. Donjon

Donjon (XII-XIV century) - main tower castle-fortress, its only detail that has survived to our times. The fortress was destroyed due to the frequent rebuilding of the neighboring church, which was carried out in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the lower part of the tower, remains of masonry from the 12th century have been preserved. The bell that adorns the donjon, cast in 1443, bears an inscription in Latin: "hora is somno jam suggestere", which in translation sounds something like this: "Time invites us to think."

Many famous personalities of France have visited the tower, including the military architect Vauban, who served with Louis XIV, King Francis I, Count of Provence Raymond Berenguer V. In 1951, the French singer and actor Yves Montand and his fiancee celebrated their wedding in the tower Simon Signoret.

7. Collegiate Village Church

L'église Collégiale - its construction began in the distant XIV century and lasted four hundred years! The temple building is a symbiosis of styles and eras. In 1662, the church was elevated to the rank of collegiate. The decoration of the temple - furniture, a pulpit, and other necessary items for worship are carved from wood, date back to 1668.

But the main decoration of the temple is the chapel of St. Clement - a real pearl of the Baroque era. It was erected in the early 1680s at the expense of the Bernardi family. Currently, relics from the Christian catacombs are kept in the chapel. ancient rome. Both the church and the chapel are richly decorated with decorative stucco and frescoes.

8. Chapel of the Brotherhood of the White Penitents

The Chapel of the White Penitents (La Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs) was built in the 17th century, where the Brotherhood of White Penitents gathered - Christians who decided to lend a helping hand to the destitute, the sick, the needy, victims of disasters, lost travelers and poor pilgrims. Members of the brotherhood fed and watered them, arranged for the night. The brotherhood lasted until 1920.

In the early 2000s, the temple was restored, and a few years ago, the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon decorated it with his paintings and frescoes.

9. Big Fountain Square

The Great Fountain Square (La place de la Grande Fontaine) experienced its reconstruction twice - first in the 17th century, and then in the 19th. But all these years it was the center of meetings of the inhabitants of the town. According to legend, St. Paul himself came to the square to stock up on water and water his mules and donkeys.

Nearby, in the stone bowl of the washbasin, local laundresses washed clothes, and around, on the square, there was a local market.

10. Ponti

Ponti (le pontis) - an architectural structure that connects the two parts of the building, such a stone bridge, under which there may be a window or front door. On the territory of the town, a ponti of the 15th century has been preserved - a structure that crosses Grand Street (la rue Grande) and connects two parts of the building, standing on opposite sides of the street.

11. Cemetery Saint Paul de Vence

It is located on a small hill - the Le Puy plateau, which at the beginning of the history of the town was the place where the first development began. All buildings of that time (X-XII century) were located around the church of Saint-Michel, in which the community gathered to make major decisions. The current chapel that has been preserved on this site dates back to the 16th century.

Famous people buried in the Saint-Paul cemetery include the artist Marc Chagall, who lived and worked in Saint-Paul de Vence from 1966 to 1985. In another part of the cemetery, the famous founders of the Mayo Foundation, Aime and Margarita Mayo, are depicted in the form of statues, as if they stood still at the grave of their son, who died at the age of 11 years.

On the map below, you will find all the sights of the city, marked with numbers that match the numbering given in our description. Only under No. 12, the diagram indicates the neighborhood of Saint-Paul, which we described below. Historical Museum not marked on the map, it should be searched for at the address below.

12. Historical Museum

The Historical Museum of Saint-Paul de Vence (fr. Le Musée d "Histoire Locale) is located in an old house. In its exposition - wax figures famous people, which were in Saint-Paul, which were made in the workshops of the Grivin Museum in Paris. All the characters presented are related to the history of the town - King Francis I, military architect Vauban, Queen Jeanne and many world famous while others have gathered in the halls of the museum, they are dressed in the clothes of their time, ready to tell you about the events that make up the history of a small French town.

The museum is a unique place on the French Riviera.

Ticket price: 4 euros, for students and children under 16 years old - 3 euros, for children under 6 years old - free of charge.

Working hours: the museum is open all year round, May 1 - September 30 - 10.00-12.30, 14.00-18.00; October 1 - April 30 - 10.30-12.30, 14.00-16.00. Closed every year in November, as well as on December 25 and January 1.

The address: Place de l "église 06570 Saint-Paul de Vence, tel. 04 93 324 1 13.

Attractions around Saint Paul de Vence

Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Gardet

The Notre Dame des Gardettes chapel is also listed as a historical monument, as it dates back to the 15th century. The frescoes decorating the building were painted in the 1920s.

Next to the chapel is the Mayo Foundation, a tall example of modern art collections, opened in 1964. The building of the foundation, which was designed by the Spanish architect Josep Luis Sert, received the honorary title "Heritage of the 20th century".

The Chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Gardets and the Fondation Maillot can be reached by following the old country road from Saint-Paul de Vence (tourist route no. 2).

Book now your tickets to Saint Paul de Vence at the best price!

Tourist Office of Saint-Paul-de-Vence

At the tourist office (fr. l'Office de Tourisme) you can order a tour of the town and its environs, agree on a list of sights of Saint-Paul de Vence that you would like to see, get answers to your questions related to the historical past of the town.

By the way, the history of the town is quite entertaining, find out some of its facts and events on the page about Saint-Paul de Vence.

Tourist office address: 2, rue Grande, Saint-Paul de Vence - tel. 04 933 286 95.

And finally, I would like to give you a small task, dear travelers, the first photo shows the sculpture "The Thinker", the author's work of the great Rodin. This is a copy made by the sculptor himself, it is installed on one of the streets in Saint-Paul de Vence. You just have to find it...