Saint Paul de Vence, a gem of a hilltop village

Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a fortified medieval hilltop village in southeastern France, located between Nice and Cannes on the French Riviera. Perched above the Mediterranean coast, the village has a population of roughly 3,500 residents and is considered one of the most beautiful and historically well-preserved villages in Provence. 

Originally founded in the Middle Ages, Saint-Paul-de-Vence became strategically important because of its elevated position overlooking the surrounding countryside. In the 16th century, King Francois I strengthened the village's defensive ramparts, many of which still surround the old town today. It's narrow cobblestone streets, stone houses, fountains, and art-filled squares preserve much of its medieval character. 

The village is famous for its connection to art and culture. During the 20th century, Saint-Paul-de-Vence attracted celebrated artists, writers, and actors including Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Yves Montand. It is home to the renowned Fondation Maeght modern art museum and the legendary La Colombe d'Or, an inn famous for displaying original artworks donated by artists who stayed there. 

Today, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is known for its art galleries, Provencal charm, spectacular views, and vibrant cafe culture, making it one of the most visited villages on the Cote d'Azur.

 

Saint-Paul-de-Vence Cafe

Entrance to Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Chapelle Sainte-Claire

The game of Boules, also known as Pétanque, originated in Provence in the early 20th century and is traditionally played on gravel or packed dirt courts. Players stand inside a circle and toss steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden target ball called the cochonnet ("little pig"). The game remains an important part of Provencal social life, often played in village squares beneath plane trees alongside cafes and outdoor terraces.

Friends play boules on a Saint-Paul-de-Vence square

Covered Passageway in Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Shirley and I in Saint-Paul-de-Vence

White Penitents Chapel

The tower of the main parish church in the village.

Village shop

Village fountain

Saint-Paul-de-Vence cemetery where artist Marc Chagall is buried

View of the Alps from the village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Saint-Paul-de-Vence War Memorial

Saint-Paul-de-Vence Ramparts

Horse statue in Saint-Paul-de-Vence

We definitely recommend you drive up the road to Saint-Paul-de-Vence if you are spending time around Nice. The trip is about 20 km and usually takes 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic. From Nice, you typically leave the coast and gradually climb inland through hills covered with cypress, olive trees, villas, and stone walls. Parking is generally outside the village, after which visitors walk into the village through the ancient walls.

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Nimes, the Rome of France

We always take our guests to visit the Pont du Gard because it has been standing for 2000 years and it is a spectacular to behold in a beautiful location.

Unless you are going to float down the Gardon River on rented kayaks, like we are going to do this summer, a visit to the Pont du Gard can be completed in 1/2 day. 

So we usually combine our visits to the Pont du Gard with a visit to Uzes or to the Roman city of Nîmes. 

Nîmes has a very long and rich history dating back to the Roman Empire when Nîmes was home to between 50,000 - 60,000 people.

There are several famous and well-preserved monuments such as the Nîmes Arena and the Maison Carrée and because of this Nîmes is often referred to as French Rome. 

The arena in Nîmes is twin to the arena in Arles, most likely from the same period (late 1c to early 2c), an excellent example of the perfection attained by Roman egineers in designing and building large and complex buildings.

From the exterior, you see two floors, each with 60 arches, 21 meters in heighth with an attic.

The arena is oval shaped, it measures 133 meters long and 101 meters wide, with an arena of 68 by 38 meters.

In Roman times, the arena could hold 24,000 spectators spread over 34 rows of spectators divided into 4 separate areas.

Each was accessed via a gallery and hundreds of stairwells and passageways called vomitories. They were called vomitories because they permitted the crowd to exit in a speedy hurry.

The arena was designed so that everyone had an unrestricted view of the entire arena. 

The arena was remodeled in 1863 to serve as a bullring. The arena of Nîmes is the site of bullfights during the Ferias de Nîmes, a popular festival centered on Spanish-style bullfighting. 

The Lycée (high school) Alphonse-Daudet seen below was constructed in the 16th century as a hospice.

The Tour Magne seen below in the distance sits on top of Mont Cavalier, the highest point in Nîmes. It is a vestige of the defenses built around the town. It is a 3-story polygonal tower 112 feet tall.

The Maison Carrée (Square House) seen below, is the best preserved of the Roman temples still standing. It was built under Augustus' (late 1C BC) reign and inspired by the Temple of Apollo in Rome.

Maison Carrée sits on a 2.85 meter high podium, it forms a rectangle almost twice as long as it is wide, measuring 26.42 meters by 13.54 meters. 

A large door (6.87 meters high by 3.27 meters wide) leads to a surprisingly small and windowless interior, where the shrine originally was. The building now houses a tourist oriented film on the Roman history of Nîmes

The Maison Carrée inspired the neoclassical Église de la Madeleine in Paris, St. Marcellinus Church in Rogalin, Poland, and in the United States, the Virginia State Capitol, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson, who had a stucco model made of the Maison Carrée while he was minister to France in 1785.

If you have time, besides the places I have highlighted in this post, you should plan to visit the Jardins de la Fontaine, 18th-century gardens in Nîmes, built in 1745 near the former western defensive ramparts of the city.

Carpentras, Unknown Gem of Provence

Over the years, we have headed to Carpentras many times on Friday mornings for the year-round Friday morning market. Carpentras is a short 25-minute ride down the D-7 from Sablet.

As we get near, we see Notre Dame de l'Observance towering over Carpentras. The church was built at the beginning of the sixteenth century. It was established as a parish church in 1792. The church was restored at the beginning of the nineteenth century. 

Notre Dame de l'Observance Church

Carpentras is located along the Auzon River. Carpentras was a commercial site used by Greek merchants in ancient times, and known to the Romains, first as Carpentoracte Meminorum, mentioned by Piney, then renamed Forum Neronis ("Forum of Nero").

Pope Clement V made it his papal headquarters before moving to Avignon in 1309. Carpentras and this small enclave of Provence did not become part of France until 1791. Nowadays, Carpentras is the commercial center for Comtat Venaissin. 

The 14th-century Porte d'Orange, is a massive, fortified gateway on the north side of historic Carpentras. This is all that remains of the defensive wall which consisted of 32 towers and 4 gates. This last gate stands 78 feet high.

14th Century Porte d'Orange

Boyer Passage is a covered passage built in 1848 by the unemployed put to work by the Ateliers Nationaux ("National Workshops"). The street was built to connect the little Halles and the market.

Boyer Passage

As you walk around Carpentras, you will come upon Saint Siffrein Cathedral which was built on top of two previous churches; traces of one, a 13th century Romanesque church can be seen on the northern side of the apse. The Cathedral was constructed in Gothic style by order of Pope Benedict XIII. 

It took more than a century to build, from 1404 to 1519. One of the Cathedral's most unusual features is the south doorway known as the Porte Juive ("Jew's Gate"). This ornate doorway was designed as an entrance for Jews who wished to be baptized. 

The interior of the Cathedral testifies to the great artistic fervor during the papal presence in the Comtat Venaissin. Painted panels of the crowning of the Virgin, 15th century-stained glass windows, precious Genoan marble altarpieces, gilded wood sculptures by the Bernus family, outstanding wrought iron work by the Mille family, paintings signed by G. E. Greve, N. Migard, E. Parrocel and Carpentras artist J. S. Duplessis. 

Saint Siffrein Cathedral

Carpentras has hosted Jews since at least 1276, according to tax records from that time. Expelled from France by Philippe le Bel, the Jews took refuge in the Papal lands where they were safe and enjoyed freedom of religion. Carpentras was home to a large Jewish community in a neighborhood that did not become a ghetto until the end of the 16th century.

The synagogue in Carpentras is the oldest Jewish house of worship in existence in France today. The synagogue, built in 1367, has a Baroque-style interior and a gold-ornamented hall with a blue domed ceiling. The synagogue building includes a 30-foot-deep ritual bath, fed by turquoise waters from a natural spring, another heated bath, a kosher abattoir, and two communal ovens. The 18th-century sanctuary is on the first floor.

Jewish Synagogue

The 28 foot tall Roman arch in Carpentras is the only remaining structure from the Roman period. It was built in the 1st century AD under Emperor Augustus to commemorate the Roman victory over the Barbarians. The single arch is decorated with sculpted figures representing chained prisoners on its lateral sides.

Roman Arch

The memorial seen below honors the residents of Carpentras who sacrificed their lives or went missing during the Great War (World War I).

Carpentras War Memorial

 You can learn about the region's history at the new L'Inguimbertine museum and library set in the recently restored 18th-century hospital. The museum tells the story of the French popes and the protected Jews in Provence. 

Carpentras is also the birthplace of the Berlingot de Carpentras,  a pyramid shaped candy whose recipe dates back to Clement V, which you can watch being made at the Confiserie du Mont Ventoux. 

A Visit to the Vaison-la-Romaine Weekly Market in March

We look forward to Tuesday mornings because it's the day for the weekly market in Vaison-la-Romaine. That morning, rain or shine always finds us leaving the house early for the trip to Vaison-la-Romaine. 

Vaison-la-Romaine is 6 miles north of Sablet on a winding road and then left around the round-about and across the bridge over the Ouveze River. You know you are close to your destination, when you see the Medieval castle on top of the hill. 

Medieval castle in Vaison-la-Romaine

We generally park our car near Notre Dame de Nazareth Cathedral. From there we head toward the market. On the way, we walk past some of the Roman ruins which are located in and about Vaison-la-Romaine.

The Roman ruins lie in the valley on the right bank of the Ouveze River in two main areas: La Villasse and Puymin. Some of the ruins of La Villasse are shown in the picture below.

Roman ruins

The weekly market is a kaleidoscope of colors and smells of Provence with up to 450 vendors in the summer. Vendor stalls are mostly located on Avenue General de Gaulle, Cours Taulignan, and Place Montfort. 

Avenue General de Gaulle

On our most recent visit, I headed to the upper end of Avenue General de Gaulle in search of herbs and flowers for our terrace. 

Some of the plant vendors on Avenue General de Gaulle

I wish we had room on our terrace for a few Hydrangea plants.

Hydrangeas for sale

Herbs for sale

The market is a tradition dating back to 1483.

I get inspired to cook as I walk past tables piled with beautiful vegetables

Market baskets for sale

Cours Taulignan

One of several vendors who sell olives, peeled garlic, and preserved lemons

A vendor selling cheese and charcuterie

Dry sausages of every type

Beautiful mixed greens and roquette (Argula)

Dried fruits of all kinds and homemade tapenade

First local strawberries from Carpentras

Olive oil and black olives from Nyons

Spices are sold in a manner that would probably not be allowed by US health departments

Our favorite fish monger. Fish are fresh and they scale and clean them perfectly.

Vendors on Place Montfort

After we finish our morning shopping, me for fruits, vegetables, cheese and fish, and Shirley for soap, pottery, linens and souvenirs, we gather at one of the cafes on Place Montfort.

After shopping, we meet up at one of the cafes on Place Montfort for beverages

Vaison-la-Romaine is separated by the Ouveze River into two parts connected by a bridge built by the Romans in the 1st century AD. On the left bank is the old medieval town with the Castle of the Counts of Toulouse at the highest point and on the right bank is the ancient Roman colony and modern town.

Roman bridge in Vaison-la-Romaine

If you go to the market in Vaison-la-Romaine, we recommend you go early as close by parking fills up and the streets get very crowded with locals and tourists checking out the offerings of the vendors. 

I can't wait to return to the market this summer when the vendor tables will be overflowing with tomatoes of all colors and shapes, squash, stone fruit, and cantaloupes, to name a few of my favorite things. 

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