The very first time I climbed the Col de Vence (in 2012, I think) I noticed a small stone “stele” along the side of the road about 3 kilometers up the hill. It was marked with “Mouvement Combat – A La Memoire des Victimes des Mines Nazi” at the top so I knew it had…
Le Dessin, Autrement
Le Musée de Vence (The Vence Museum) resides in a castle built during the 1600s. In the heart of the historic old town it may be small when compared to other museums throughout the Côte d’Azur, but it consistently provides excellent exhibits, presentations and cultural events for those who make their way to Vence. The…
Chapelle Du Rosaire
From the outside it really doesn’t look like much. A small, unimposing white building with a blue and white tiled roof. The buildings on either side of the chapel are larger and more impressive. There’s a huge iron cross on the roof at one end of the building (adorned with flames and crescent moons) which…
La Chapelle Saint-Raphaël
I’ve written elsewhere on the site about most of the other chapels to be found in Vence. I’ve chosen to write a separate article about the Chapelle Saint-Raphaël because of it’s location. It doesn’t really fit into one of the two tours I put together for visiting the other chapels because it lies about five…
The Rose Of Vence
There was a time, not so long ago, when it was said that the rolling hills around Vence were carpeted with a delicate variety of rose known as the “Rose of Vence.” Today they are still cultivated and sold in town at local flower shops and the weekly market though the production is much, much…
The Chapels Of Vence
Over the centuries Vence has had a strong Christian presence as evidenced by the multiple chapels throughout and around the town. There are at least fifteen chapels that still stand and can be easily visited. To be honest, I didn’t even know most of these existed until not too long ago. Sadly, most of them…
Chapelle Des Pénitents Blancs
There are a surprising number of chapels spread throughout Vence, both in the village proper and on the outskirts of town. Some have been long abandoned and no longer serve as chapels (I know of two that are now garages!) Today I’d like to look at la Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs (The Chapel of the…
Elvis Costello In Vence
In 1977 I lived in Austin with my girlfriend, Anne. I worked in a record store and was consumed with everything and anything that had to do with records and music. Mostly I listened to country, alt-country, Americana, singer-songwriters, etc. But, I also loved rock and pop music. One day I brought home a brand…
A Painter’s Tour Of Vence
Henri Matisse lived in here in Vence from 1943 to 1949 when he conceived and decorated the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence. After World War II Marc Chagall spent time in Vence working with ceramics, sculpture and stained glass windows. Chaïm Soutine was here for over a decade. During the same period Raoul Dufy was…
A Walking Tour Of Old Vence
Walking through the “old town” of any small French village is like taking a trip back in time. Most of these villages were founded hundreds and hundreds of years ago and Vence is no different. The town has been settled since prehistoric times when it was the main center for a Ligurian tribe. Everywhere you…
Vence Photomarathon
One day while talking with my friend Patrick here in Vence, a native Frenchman who loves Texas, I mentioned that I was interested in photography. Now, I don’t consider myself a “photographer” by any means, but I love to take photos here in France. To be honest, I never really had much interest in photography until I took a class at Watkins College of Art called “Documentary Photography.” The course centered around choosing a subject and spending the entire semester documenting that subject through photographs. The course required that I have a DSLR camera (Digital Single Lens Reflex), which I did not have at the time. I didn’t take many photos and when I did I just used my iPhone, since it had a great digital camera.
The Fountains Of Vence
If you stroll through Vence on any given day you are likely to find people waiting in line to fill containers with fresh water from one of the many fountains that are located throughout the town. Since the middle ages Vence has been known for the high quality of its water. Surrounded by three rivers (the Malvan, the Lubiane and the Cagne), our town is also lucky enough to have two springs (the Foux and the Riou). The springs and rivers supply a multitude of fountains that can be found throughout the city.