Vence Postcards
La Cour de l’Ancien Évêché

Location: La Cour de l’Ancien Évêché (Portique de l’Ancien Évêché, Cloître de l’Ancien Évêché) – 49 postcards.

For hundreds of years one bishop after another ruled over the small bishopric (évêché in French) of Vence. The first bishop of the small town is thought to be Audinus in 250A.D. The last was Charles Pisani de la Gaude who was removed when the diocese was abolished following the concordat of 1801.

The small bishopric (or diocese) of Vence bordered the Var river to the east, the Loup River to the south and the Esteron to the west. It included the following villages: Andon, Bézaudun, Bouyon, Caille, Courmes, Courmettes, Coursegoules, Dosfraires, Gréolières-Basses, Gréolières-Hautes, Malvan, Saint-Paul, Thorenc, Tourrettes, Valettes and Villeneuve.

In the early 1900s it was decided to build a new Hôtel de Ville (town hall) in Place Clemenceau. The town had outgrown the old one located in Place Surian. To construct this new building it was necessary to tear down some older structures. One of those was a large wall that connected the cathedral to another building with a small passageway through it. A courtyard (le Cour de l’Ancien Évêché) existed between this wall and another passageway that opened up onto Rue de l’Évêché, known today as le Passage Cahours. In fact, the courtyard still exists though it is less defined without the second wall.

In the photographs on these postcards we can see the still intact Passage Cahours, but what is most fascinating are the glimpses of the old wall that was torn down. You can see it at the far end of the courtyard, appearing with a passageway or small tunnel through the wall.

While we often talk about how the old town of Vence has changed so little over hundreds of years, this is a reminder that some things, even in the old town, have not withstood the progress of time.

If you have any questions about any of the cards featured here, if you see any errors or if you would like more information, drop me an email at steve@steveandcaroleinvence.com.

Click on any image to view a larger version.