It's a small town on a hill, the history starting from the Middle-age period, back to 10th -12th century, but now became one of the most visited villages due to the modern, contemporary art galleries, museums, art items displayed in the village, art studios, schools...and especially a home to a number of the famous artists, like Marc Chagall or movies celebs. Someone said "This is a paradise for the artists"!
Almost every house here - a gallery - either paintings, sculpture, deco...or some other kind of art that I didn't know how to call it exactly. We had more than hour here, to walk around, to visit galleries, but to be honest I couldn't enter to some places as there was a sign, right at the entrance, "No enter with camera" or they just allowed to take a very few shots. Anyway, I understand when a lot of people taking picture...without buying anything!
I really like the way the artists displayed the artworks. Very simple. Sometime I even couldn't see the artist, just a cute dog, lying down at the door...Ring the bell, someone will come, the artist or the gallery's owner.
I was here during mid September, so not very crowded, I had quite enough time to walk around the village but regretfully I didn't have a guide map or enough information about the galleries, the museums here, in the paradise for the artists, so I just went around around, sometime back to the same spot.
I probably missed a chance to see different deco items displayed within the ramparts or to visit a gallery of the famous painter, houses of those celebs who used to live here. Actually I saw a studio of a French artist, originally Vietnamese, but the studio was closed, ring upon the request, but better not to disturb him with my curiosity!
It's very interesting to get more details on some artwork that I found in the village like the old camera engraved on the stone by Luc Trizan (source: www.saint-pauldevence.com)
"Luc Trizan keeps the creative flame burning. His family comes from Florence in Tuscany, where working marble and stone is an almost sacred tradition.Luc studied architecture, travelled the world and then settled in Saint-Paul de Vence. He first encountered ochre in the quarries of the Sine Forest in Vence, and learned to work the pale beige material, incrusted with fossils and veined with transparent quartz… like a bunch of golden muscat grapes.
Trizan uses this strong, bright and fascinating rock to take a fresh look at the concept of a work of art. He endeavours to extract images buried deep down in the stone's memory and to transcribe them, to engrave them, to suggest them in polished or raw nuances. He creates a seed of awareness "because perhaps stone has a spirit?". He places man before this raw material and the question of time. "But nature under assault rebels, takes hold of me, floods into me. I instinctively stand still and my sculpture gradually takes on a lasting form…"
I was wondering why the artists loved this place so much, but not only St Paul de Vence, many other places in South of France, probably the landscapes, the colourful nature, the azure blue sky, the Mediterranean sea, the mild weather, the sunlight...
The 9-hour tour cost me 79 Euros with a nice, pleasant guide-driver, originally from Morocco, Sami.
He speaks good English but kept speaking in French with me as he believed that Vietnamese do speak French...yeah it could be right but only for my parents generation! Saying goodbye to Sami, I promised him to come back to Nice someday. I love this place as many other artists :) !
This was my last day in France, I never imagine that I traveled almost around France just in 15 days, all by train, that was an amazing experience. What I had to skip this time was the North-Eastern part of France, as I decided when going down to South, I will continue my journey to Verona, Venice, Florence and Rome. Au revoir, France! But I will see you soon in Verona and especially in incredibly glorious Venice!
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