Saint Paul de Vence | French Riviera - Cote d'Azur

Saint Paul de Vence on the French Riviera, the first record of its name is on the 11th century: Castrum Sancti Pauli.

Many St. Paul's in France and a slew of St. Paul-de-some where's!

This jewel of our beloved French Riviera was not built in a day.

Although the setting appears timeless, unchanging, it has been shaped over the centuries by Mother Nature and the hand of Man.

In ancient days of classic Antiquity, two successive major civilisations laid the foundations of our Mediterranean culture.

The Greeks, accomplished sailors, occupied regions edging the Mediterranean Sea and founded major ports (Marseilles, Monaco , Nice and Antibes as far as our coastline is concerned).

They also introduced olive trees and vines, which were to become the backbone of local agriculture.

The Romans, in their "conquest of the world", invaded the region in the 2nd century BC, imposing their thoroughness in all things military, legal and administrative.

They constructed huge cities and built Roman roads, structuring the region's economy.

At the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD), Provence went through a difficult period littered with epidemics and barbarian invasions.

The somewhat fragile economic and demographic equilibrium was shattered, causing an overall feeling of insecurity.

The peasants drew closer together and "perched villages" started to appear.

Saint Paul de Vence was founded in the 9th century.

Before long, castrum Santo Paulo (the château of Saint Paul de Vence) dominated the entire village.

The only surviving part of the castle today is its dungeon.

During the second half of the Middle Ages, the region was governed by the Counts of Provence.

Two in particular were to mark the history of Saint Paul de Vence: Count Raymond Béranger V at the beginning of the 13th century and Countess Jeanne I of Anjou in the 15th century.

When Raymond Béranger married Douce, he became Count Raymond Béranger I of Provence and brought castrum Saint Paul de Vence out of its bleakest days.

In 1227, Raymond Béranger V, Count of Provence, granted privileges and communal franchises and created a market.

The place became of a city of notables.

Jeanne I, Countess of Provence, Queen of Naples, granted Saint Paul de Vence the right to use the waters of the Malvan.

Legend would have it that this Queen enjoyed a romantic idyll with a page named Aubépin (hawthorn in English), whom she is said to have found stabbed to death one day.

Since then, the spot is marked by a hawthorn bush bearing red blooms.

During her reign, Provence and Saint Paul de Vence were hit by the plague.

When the Queen died, Saint Paul de Vence capitulated and joined the House of Anjou.

In 1418, a deed signed by Louis III recognised the city as a "Royal City" because of its military and administrative significance and its direct dependency on the Count-King.

Prepared by Louis XI and King René, the union between Provence and France was proclaimed on 15 January 1482 and became French.

In the Renaissance period, relentless attacks by Charles Quint incited François I to build modern ramparts around the town. He appointed François de Mandon from Saint Rémy to oversee the project.

The consequences of construction work on the inhabitants were in some cases dramatic: many houses were demolished and the inhabitants had to move out to neighbouring villages.

The fortifications were abandoned at the end of the Empire.

However, in 1832, a committee of military engineers decided to restore them.

When Saint Paul was demilitarised in 1870, the ramparts were sold off at auction.

What a shame it was for the village!

The mayor of the commune, deeming the fortifications of public importance, negotiated with the French government to save them from demolition.

In 1872, the commune bought the ramparts for 80 Euro!

Glowing in the Mediterranean light it is now a prestigious village that gradually, with the increasing popularity of the French Riviera attracts artists and tourists.

Major plus points that accentuated the development of the French Riviera included new communications channels (such as the tramway), the weather and the setting and particularly the exceptional luminosity.

In 1920: a host of painters, founders of the 20th century schools, flocked to Saint Paul de Vence: Matisse, Soutine, Chagall, Renoir, Signac, Modigliani, Dufy…

Not to mention writers including Gide, Giono, Cocteau and Prévert.

Later, it was the turn of film directors and scriptwriters: Clouzot, Cayatte, Audiard and French and international stars: Yves Montand, Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Romy Schneider, Roger Moore, Tony Curtis…

Artists mainly stayed at the hotel "Le Robinson" managed by Paul Roux (today known as "La Colombe d'Or") or the "Pergola" and then "La Résidence" run by Ferdinand Issert (today's "Café de la Place").

In July 1964, the Fondation Maeght was inaugurated by André Malraux.

It was the joint creation of Aimé and Marguerite Maeght and artists including Giacometti, Chagall, Miró and Calder.

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Videos

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More History and Geography

Saint Paul de Vence has set a beautiful medieval fortified village perched on a narrow spur between two deep valleys.

Its location gives you a great view of the village from La Colle road to the east or the Cagnes-Vence road to the west.

Between mountains and sea, the village from its 60 feet rocky outcrop, overlooks the surrounding landscape, with the Mediterranean Sea and the Cap d'Antibes, the Alps and the Esterel Mountains. Unique!

The village itself is one of the most intact medieval examples of the region, with much of the ramparts still there.

Saint Paul de Vence stretches over 1.700 acres, with a population of 3.000 inhabitants, 300 of which live within the village.

Every year, over 2,500.000 people come and visit Saint Paul de Vence.

Statistically, it is the third most visited historical site in France after the Mont St Michel and the Chateau de Versailles.

The town landscape, natural site, architecture and buildings are all protected by law as part of the national heritage.

The Russian born painter Mark Chagall is buried in the Saint Paul de Vence cemetery.

At the entrance, take the first right and the next left. Chagall has a simple white tomb.

The small stones are added by visitors as tributes (from a Russian and Jewish tradition).

With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, Saint Paul de Vence is blessed with a uniquely mild climate

The Sun here is by far, the most beautiful of the entire Provence.

It is also the country where the best variety of oranges grows..."(Vauban to Louis XIV. January 7th 1701)

During medieval times, the village was fortified (13th century).

In the 16th century, Saint Paul de Vence was ruled by the Lords of Grasse-Bar, and then became a Royal Village.

In 1537, François 1st built a second wall to completely enclose the village.

Several hundred houses had to be destroyed, and the inhabitants moved down to the lower lands, where La Colle is now located.

It was the last bit about the history of the village.

No need to repeat that the landscapes are magnificent...

Saint Paul de Vence is true to its reputation as an exceptional and unique place...

But let's not say it too loud, Saint Paul de Vence is still a small village which shouldn't be disfigured by large car parks capable of hosting convoys of coaches!!!

The beauty of the surrounding area, quality of life and exceptional light has inspired numerous famous artists, painters, writers and poets, some of whom took up residence in the village.

You can find signatures from some of these famous artists at the Fondation Maeght which has a large collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and other graphic works from the 20th century.

Visit some of the artists' and craft workshops or museums or go shopping in the provencal boutiques (often full of visitors in summer...).

Walk around the narrow and so picturesque streets of the village, from the Porte Royale to the Porte Sud via the pedestrian streets and you will discover magnificent stone façades from the 15th and 18th centuries.

Lose yourself in the maze of charming streets, the floral exuberance of the gardens, the little shady squares, ancient fountains, gateways and porches, or wonderful windows and you'll understand why the village is a favourite subject for photographers.

Vence, 3 km up the road, is also beautiful, more relaxed, has lots of shops and art galleries, and fine terrace cafés.

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Other Places to Visit

Visit all the village .

Do not forget to pay a visit to The Collégiale church and its treasure.

Learn also the local history of Saint Paul de Vence at the Municipal museum.

Well, a good lunch or dinner at La Colombe d'Or will enchant you, beware it is a bit dear, but it worth it...

If you can't afford it you may eat at the one of the many restaurants in the village and in the surroundings.

You can also eat a pan bagnat (local sandwich) when walking and visiting the village, the ones sold by the Boulangerie in the rue centrale are delicious!

Prices in restaurants range from cheap to very expensive.

Les Volets Blancs: the ladies will love the place where they made beautiful household linen.

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Walks

There's no real hiking here, but some country walks can be very nice.

The walk along the road between the village is pretty, but summer traffic can be annoying.

There is one trail going down into the valley, from near the new parking lot at the north end of the village; you can either go down and back;

You can continue through the residential roads and up to Vence.

The small road that goes past the Fondation Maeght goes up through the woods and there's not much traffic there.

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Virtual Tours

Choose your viewer, Quicktime or Java by clicking on the corresponding logo.

Village 1 Village 2 Village 3 Village 4 Village 5 Village 6 Virtual tours courtesy of Philippe Laval for this page.

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Useful Links and Resources

• City Council Official Website (French only).
• Tourism Official Website.
• The Riviera Times Website (English newspaper).
• The Riviera Reporter Website (English magazine).
• Riviera Radio Website (English radio).
• International Radio Website (English radio).

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