Vence Postcards - Old Town Streets - Steve And Carole In Vence

Location: Old Town Streets – 90 postcards.

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 Hotels that once stood proudly beside the Grand Jardin have been replaced by large post-war apartment and office buildings.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.