Vence Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Alpes-Maritimes (06140) Population: 15,330 Altitude: 325 m Nearby: [ Biot | Nice 21 km | St.Jeannet | St.Paul | Tourrettes-sur-Loup ] Photos: The Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs (25 k) Inside the "lavoir" with its arched walls (17 k) A view of the village with its circular-walled buildings (24 k) Below: [ Matisse | History | Dates | Walking Tours | Museums-Sites | Swimming | Hiking | Lodging ] Vence, "City of Art", is a lovely town sitting in the fresh air of the hills only a few km from Nice and Antibes. The town is full of flowers and, in the area around the town, aromatic flowers, olives and colorful orange trees are cultivated. This photo is the Chapelle Matisse (see below), with the Baou des Blancs in the background. The old town is still a tight, walled circle of medieval buildings, much as it appeared hundreds of years ago. Each of the five medieval "portes" (gateways) piercing the walled buildings gives a different feeling of the old town: Portail Levis (13th c.) Porte du Peyra (1441); Tour-Porte du Signadour (13th c.) (or Portail Saint-Paul) Porte du Faubourg ou Pontis; Porte d'Orient, or Porte du Siege or Porte de Cagnes or Porte de la Brèche (18th c.). This porte was made and the buildings realigned so Monseigneur Pisani de la Gaude, Bishop of Vence, could arrive at the door of his episcopal palace without stepping down from his carriage. Inside the walls, there are terrace cafés on the Place Clémenceau, with a view of the beautifully decorated church and the activity of this busy square. Outside the walls, near the Porte de Peyra, the terrace cafés beneath the plane trees facing the Place du Grand Jardin are great for sitting and watching even more activity. Artists. Vence is a town of artists, with painters, sculptors and writers of many nationalities living and working here. The town is full of galleries and other examples of their work, with sculptures, decorated buildings and frequent (summertime) outdoor exhibits. The 12th-century troubadour Pierre Vidal called Vence "le doux repaire" (the sweet nest), and in the 13th century, Dante Alighieri included Romeo de Villeneuve, Lord of Vence, in his Paradise. Other famous painters who worked in Vence include Dufy, Soutine, Matisse, Chagall and Dubuffet. In 1930, D. H. Lawrence spent his last days in Vence, and was buried here; he was later dug up and taken to Mexico. Another internationally known writer (and seer and doctor), Nostradamus, had something good to say: "Garden of Vence, marvel of Provence" - Market Town. Vence has been a market town for centuries, and the core of the food market is along the very narrow rue du Marché inside the walls. Flowers, fish, honey, bakeries, endless variety of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices all add their colors and fragrances to the feeling of the markets. A foire [types of markets] can be found on the Place Clémenceau inside the old village, or as part of the weekly foire at the Place du Grand Jardin. La Foux. Even the water is special in Vence. Coming from a source just above the village, the clear mineral water of "La Foux" is available to the villagers from fountains in different parts of the village, including the beautiful 1822 fountain in the Place Peyra where an old marble plaque lists the amounts of the different minerals present. The water is considered so good, that there are often lines at some of the fountains as people fill bottles and jugs to take home for consumption. The little "Foux" river passes though a deep valley along the northern edge of the old town. Take a walk out over the narrow road bridge (avenue de Provence) that goes towards St. Jeannet. It's a nice view of the old town from there, and the "Foux" valley far below is so thick with foliage it seems like a jungle. Chapelle Matisse. A 5-10 minute walk from the center of town, out across the bridge over the "Foux" and up the Avenue Henri Matisse is the Chapelle Matisse, or the Chapelle du Rosaire des Dominicaines de Vence. which was designed and decorated by Henri Matisse between 1947 and 1951. This all-white chapel used stained glass to bring "natural" colors inside, and Matisse considered it his masterpiece, "Despite its imperfections...". Henri also liked the feeling of Vence (as we do), commenting: "This morning, strolling in front of my home, seeing all the young girls, women and men riding their bicycles to market, I thought I must be in Tahiti." Name Ligurian: Vintium (after a God). First record, 2nd century: Ouintion; 442: Viensiensis episcopus; 585: Ventio; 12th century: Ventia History Prehistoric: Clear signs of prehistoric habitation, including tombs at the Grotte de l'Ibis and the Grotte de l'Aigle on the Baou-des-Blancs. On the Baou-des-Noirs is an oppidum with a protohistoric wall, occupied from the first half of the iron age until the Roman conquest. Ligurian: Vence was founded by the Ligurians, and as Vintium it was the capital of the Nerusi tribe. Gallo-Roman: Vence was an important Roman town. The town and the environs have many artifacts and remains from Ligurian, Gallo-Roman and Roman eras. The remains of a mausoleum at Cougnet included tiles, jewelry and ceramics from the Augustan era to the 3rd century. There are Roman inscriptions in different places in Vence and on the walls of the cathedral. The cathedral also contains Gallo-Roman reliefs. Medieval: From 1229, Vence was co-ruled by the Bishops and the Lords of Villeneuve. Vence was a Bishop's see from 439 until the French Revolution. During the Wars of Religion, and resisted a siege by the troops of the Huguenot Lesdiguières in 1592. Dates, Numbers Market day: daily Fête communale: Easter Monday Fête patronale: 1st Sunday in August Flower Parade: Easter Music Festival: July Foire: 20 Feb; 26 May; 10 Sept; 13 Dec Office de Tourisme - tel: (33) 493 58 06 38; fax: (33) 493 58 91 81 Place du Frêne The Place du Frêne, just outside the Porte du Peyra, has as its namesake an enormous ash tree (frêne) said to have been planted in 1538, in memory of the visit of François I and Pope Paul III. At the far end of the Place du Frêne is the Belvédère Fernand Moulet. There's not much left of the stone orientation table, but there's a great view of the Baou des Blancs and Baou des Noirs towering over the town, and the prominent Baou de St. Jeannet further down the line of hills. To the northwest, on the hills to the left of the Baou des Blancs, you can see the ruins of the Château de la Reine Jeanne. Museums and Sites Cathédrale Hours: 9h-18h daily Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs Ave Henri Isnard During expositions: Place Frédéric Mistral Tel: (33) 493 24 65 58 Hours: Summer 10h-12, 15h-19; Winter 10h-12h, 14h-18h Chapelle du Rosaire (Matisse) 48 Ave Henri Matisse Hours: Tue, Thur 10h-11h30, 14h30-17h30; extended hours in summer; closed Nov Château de Villeneuve, Fondation Emile Huges Place de Frêne; Tel: (33) 493 58 15 78 Hours: Summer 11h-19h daily; Winter 10h-12, 14h-18h, closed Monday Musée Provençal Descent des moulins Tel: (33) 493 58 18 06 Hours: July-Sept 15h-19h, closed Sun-Mon Swimming Pools (Piscines) Piscine Municipale Ave Colonel Meyère Tel: (33) 493 58 21 08 Walking Tours In a "Visite de la Cité Historique", numbered panels throughout the village describe, in French and English, the ancient "portes", chateaux, fountains and other interesting sites within the town. The panels are a discrete pale grey so they don't detract from the location, with a red number keyed to a map you can obtain from the Office de Tourisme. Camping Hiking Maps: Michelin "green" #115 (1/100,000) - "French Riviera - Alpes-Maritimes" IGN (1:25,000) 3643 ET "Cannes-Grasse" Didier Richard (1:50,000) #26 "Pays d'Azur" The GR51 (Balcony of the Cote d'Azur) trail crosses through hills about half way up the Col de Vence (pass), north of town. You can get to the GR51 on foot by taking the trail to the Chapelle St.Raphaël (see below); this trail connects with the GR51 a few hundred meters past the chapel. Le Gue du Malvan, Chapelle St.Raphaël. (90 minutes each way) Take the main road out of Vence to the west (Ave. Rhine et Danube), past the fire station and across the long viaduct over the Malvan river. Across the viaduct, stay on the new road as it branches off to the right, up an incline, about a 100 m. Turn right onto a lane that leads to the main RN20 road. Opposite, across the RN20, the Chemin des Canbreniers goes up the hillside. The trail crosses the Gue du Malvan (ford) and leads to the Chapelle St.Raphaël, sitting on a high rock in the woods, on a prehistoric site. A bit further on are the ruins of the Chàteau de la Reine Jeanne. Le Baou des Blancs. (90 minutes each way) From the Place J. Moulin at the west end of town, follow the road up towards the Col de Vence. Just past the quarries on the right (about 3 km), a marked trail goes up the hill at the right of the road, towards a pylon and on to the Croix du Baou at the top. There you'll have a spectacular view of Vence .. and most of the coast. Lodging Listing available