I love walking through the old town. It’s one portion of Vence where it feels like time has stood still. Well, at least for the last few hundred years. Outside the walls of the old town much of Vence has been consistently renovated and modernized. Hotels that once stood proudly beside the Grand Jardin have been replaced by large post-war apartment and office buildings. Gorgeous villas where elegant parties and sumptuous dinners were once commonplace have given way to large contemporary mini-mansions of glass and steel.
Walking through old town is a completely different story. Sure, some buildings have been updated and/or replaced. Some fountains have been moved from one place to another. Trees that once stood in the middle of a small square are now gone. But overall, it’s remarkable to see just how little has changed from the streets our predecessors walked two, four or even six hundred years ago. It’s fun to take these cards and compare them to photos from today and see how much still remains the same.
I must say I am a bit surprised at how few of the streets in old town are represented in these cards. (I say the same thing about the fountains and the chapels.) Rue Pisani and Rue Sainte-Luce seem to be the favorites and, to be honest, they do very much represent the “typical” old town street. Rue Saint-Véran, Rue de l’Évêché, Rue de la Coste and a few others are here but there are still so many wonderful little streets and alleyways in the old town which are missing.
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.
Rue Pisani
1299 – Rue Pisani (Anciens Etab.)
319 – Vieille rue (rue Pisani) Postmarked June 15, 1950 (Braun & Cie)
1299 – Back (Anciens Etab.)
319 – Vieille rue (rue Pisani) (Braun & Cie)
Vieille Ville – Rue Pisani (Edit. E. N. Reydellet)
Vieille Ville – Rue Pisani (Edit. E. N. Reydellet)
Back (Edit. E. N. Reydellet)
Back (Edit. E. N. Reydellet)
45 – Rue Pisani (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
43 – Vieille Rue (Rue Pisani) (Levy & Neurdein Reunis)
45 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
43 – Back (Levy & Neurdein Reunis)
43 – Rue Pisani Variation (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
43 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
45 – Rue Pisani (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Rue Pisani (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Rue Pisani (variation) (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Rue Pisani (variation) (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Back (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Back (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Rue Pisani (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Back (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
45 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
88/168 – Une vieille rue pittoresque à Vence (Rue Pisani) (Editions S.E.P.T.)
88-168 – Une vieille rue pittoresque à VENCE-LA-JOLIE (Rue Pisani) (Editions S.E.P.T.)
88/168 – Back (Editions S.E.P.T.)
88-168 – Back (Editions S.E.P.T.)
27 – La rue Pisani (Etablissements Frédéric Laugier)
06.157.07 – Vieille rue typique (Rue Pisani) (Editions la Cigogne)
27 – Back (Etablissements Frédéric Laugier)
06.157.07 – Back (Editions la Cigogne)
77 – Rue Pisani (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
Portail des Anciens Remparts (Rue Pisani) (Lombard Éditeur)
77 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
Back (Lombard Éditeur)
846 – Rue Pisani (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
570 – Vieille rue pittoresque (Rue Pisani) (unknown manufacturer)
846 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
570 – Back (unknown manufacturer)
10 06 0479 – Une vieille rue (Rue Pisani) (Éditions d’Art Yvon Paris)
43 – Rue Pisani (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
10 06 0479 – Back (Éditions d’Art Yvon Paris)
43 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
VENCE (A.-M.) (Cliché Ed. MARX)
45 – Rue Pisani (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques) From a booklet
Back (Cliché Ed. MARX)
45 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
27 – La rue Pisani (Etablissement Frédéric Laugier)
45 – Rue Pisani (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
27 – Back (Etablissement Frédéric Laugier)
45 – Back (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
Rue Saint-Véran
1891 – Vieille Rue (ELD)
1891 – Back (ELD)
AG 93 – Vieille rue pittoresque (Rue Saint-Véran) Oversized Card – 15cm x 10.5cm (Les Editions MAR)
AG 93 -Back (Les Editions MAR)
1311 – Vieille Rue (Rue Saint-Véran) Dated September 16, 1917 (Edit. Raynard)
1311 – Back (Edit. Raynard)
Vieille Rue (Rue Saint-Véran) (Etablissement de Photographie Giletta) Postmarked 1927
Back (Etablissement de Photographie Giletta)
Vieille Rue (Rue Saint-Véran) Postmarked January 1925 (Etablissement de Photographie Giletta)
Back (Etablissement de Photographie Giletta)
Vieille Rue Dated October 18, 1934 (J. Gilletta et Cie)
Back (J. Gilletta et Cie)
Vieille Rue (Etablissement de Photographie Giletta)
Back (Etablissement de Photographie Giletta)
vnc 6 – Vieille Rue (rue Saint-Véran) (Lestrohan le Rhône)
vnc 6 – Back (Lestrohan le Rhône)
13 – Rue voutée (rue Saint-Véran) et Porte Renaissance (Levy Fils & Cie)
13 – Back (Levy Fils & Cie)
13 – Rue voutée (rue Saint-Véran) (Levy Fils et Cie)
13 – Back (Levy Fils et Cie)
13 – Rue voutée (rue Saint-Véran) (Levy Fils et Cie)
13 – Back (Levy Fils et Cie)
13 – Rue Voûtée (rue Saint-Véran) (Lévy et Neurdein Réunis)
13 – Back (Lévy et Neurdein Réunis)
13 – Rue Voûtée (rue Saint-Véran) (variation) (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
13 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
13 – Rue Voutée (rue Saint-Véran) et Porte Renaissance (Unknown manufacturer – from a booklet)
13 – Back (Unknown manufacturer – from a booklet)
13 – Rue voutée (rue Saint-Véran) et Porte Renaissance Postmarked January 21, 1910 (Edition L.R.)
13 – Back (Edition L.R.)
1313 – Vieille Rue et Porte Provençale (rue Saint-Véran & Porte d’Orient) (Bonnafoux)
La Rue St-Veran (Edition Cagnoli)
1313 – Back (Bonnafoux)
Back (Edition Cagnoli)
31 – Portail et Rue St-Vèran – Tour de la Cathédrale (Rostan & Munier – Édition d’Art)
06.157.68 – Une vieille rue (Rue Saint-Véran) (Editions la Cigogne)
Back (Rostan & Munier – Édition d’Art)
06.157.68 – Back (Editions la Cigogne)
E 135 – Rue Saint-Véran et Portail d’Orient (Editions Photoguy)
554 – Vieille rue pittoresque (Rue Saint-Véran) (Les Editions Gilletta)
E 135 – Back (Editions Photoguy)
554 – Back (Les Editions Gilletta)
901 – Rue Saint-Véran, ancienne Porte de Ville Postmarked 1910 (ND Phot)
901 – Rue Saint-Véran, ancienne Porte de Ville Postmarked 1906 Slight variation, bottom fades out (ND Phot)
901 – Back (ND Phot)
901 – Back (ND Phot)
901 – rue Saint-Véran – ancienne Porte de Ville Postmarked August 30, 1913 (ND Phot)
72 – Vieille rue (Rue Saint-Véran) Oversized card – 10.5cm x 15cm (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
901 – Back (ND Phot)
72 – Back (Real-Photo Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
1292 – Rue Saint-Véran (Anciens Etab.)
2010 – Portail et Rue St. Véran (Edition d’Art, Rostan & Munier)
1292 – Back (Anciens Etab.)
2010 – Back (Edition d’Art, Rostan & Munier)
88-167 Une vieille rue pittoresque à VENCE-LA-JOLIE (Rue Saint-Véran) (Editions S.E.P.T)
1313 – Vieille Rue et Porte Provençale (Rue Saint-Véran & Porte d’Orient) Postmarked and dated August 18, 1935 (Edition La Provençale)
88-167- Back (Editions S.E.P.T)
1313 – Back (Edition La Provençale)
Vence: Vieille Rue (Rue Saint-Véran) (Editions René)
1310 – Vieille rue pittoresque (rue Saint-Véran) Postmarked July 24, 1973 (Les Editions « Mar »)
Back (Editions René)
1310 – Back (Les Editions « Mar »)
31 – Portail et Rue St-Véran – Tour de la Cathédrale (Munier, Editeur d’Art)
3910 – Vieille Rue et Porte Provençale (Photochromie A.D.I.A.)
31 – Back (Munier, Editeur d’Art)
3910 – Back (Photochromie A.D.I.A.)
Route de Cagnes (Rue St-Véran) (J. Gilletta et Cie)
Back (J. Gilletta et Cie)
Rue de l’Évêché
1306 – Rue de l’Evêché (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
1306 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
AG 89 – Rue de l’Evéché Oversized Card – 15cm x 10.5cm (Les Editions MAR)
AG 89 -Back (Les Editions MAR)
552 – Vieille rue pittoresque (Rue de l’Évêché) (Les Editions Gilletta)
552 – Back (Les Editions Gilletta)
1308 – Vieille rue pittoresque (Rue de l’Échêvé) Postmarked July 30, 1976 (Les Editions “MAR”)
1308 – Back (Les Editions “MAR”)
1308 – Vieille rue pittoresque (Rue de l’Échêvé) Variation (Les Editions “MAR”)
1308 – Back (Les Editions “MAR”)
290 – La Rue de l’Evêché (unknown manufacturer)
290 – Back (unknown manufacturer)
314 – Rue de l’Évêché (Braun & Cie)
Rue de l’Evêché (Ed.A. Rion)
314 – Rue de l’Évêché (Braun & Cie)
Back (Ed.A. Rion)
10-9499 – Une vieille Rue (Rue de l’Évêché) (Éditions d’Art Yvon Paris)
060.313 – Rue de l’Evêché (Editions la Cigogne)
10-9499 – back (Éditions d’Art Yvon Paris)
060.313 – Back
0615710330 – Place Godeau & Rue de l’Échêvé (Editions S.M.D. CIM)
1286 – Rue de l’Evêché (Neurdein Frères)
0615710330 – Back (Editions S.M.D. CIM)
1286 – Back (Neurdein Frères)
45 – Une Vieille Rue (Rue de l’Évêché) (Rostan et Munier, Editions d’art)
VE. 23 – Rue de la vieille ville – Rue de l’Évêché (Litografia Seven)
45 – Back (Rostan et Munier, Editions d’art)
VE. 23 – Back (Litografia Seven)
1286 – Rue de l’Evêché (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
1286 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
Rue de la Coste
Rue de la Coste (Edit. Raynard)
Rue de la Coste (note minor difference where Edit. Raynard, Vence is located) (Edit. Raynard)
Back (Edit. Raynard)
Back (Edit. Raynard)
380 – Vieille rue (rue de la Coste) (Braun & Cie)
380 – Vieille rue (rue de la Coste) (Braun & Cie) (alternate)
380 – Back (Braun & Cie)
380 – back (alternate – back of card is slightly different)
380 – Vieille rue (rue de la Coste) (Braun & Cie) (alternate – sepia photograph)
317 – Rue de la Coste (Braun & Cie)
380 – Back (Braun & Cie)
(Braun & Cie)
0615700009 – Portail Levis & Rue de la Coste (Editions S.M.D. CIM)
57 – La Rue de la Coste (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
0615700009 – Back (Editions S.M.D. CIM)
57 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
44 – Rue de la Coste (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
14 – Rue de la Coste Postmarked July 24, 1956 (L. Gilletta & Cie)
44 – Back (Levy et Neurdein Reunis)
14 – Back (L. Gilletta & Cie)
Rue de la Coste Postmarked August 11, 1956 (Heliogravure Combier Macon)
Rue de la Coste (J. Gilletta et Cie)
14 – Back (Heliogravure Combier Macon)
Back (J. Gilletta et Cie)
Rue de la Coste (Photo Combier Macon)
Rue de la Coste (Heliogravure Combier Macon)
Back (Photo Combier Macon)
Back (Heliogravure Combier Macon)
Rue Sainte-Luce
Vieille Ville – Rue Sainte-Luce (Edit. E.N. Reydellet)
Vieille Ville – Rue Sainte-Luce (Edit. E.N. Reydellet)
Back (Edit. E.N. Reydellet)
Back (Edit. E.N. Reydellet)
380 – Une Vieille Rue (rue Sainte-Luce) (Cie des Arts Photomécaniques)
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