A visit to St. Paul de Vence - Part 5

A visit to St. Paul de Vence - Part 5

After walking through the centre of the village the next thing I would do is have a walk around the outside of the defensive walls. A stroll around the city should not take more than half an hour even stopping off for photos, as the village perimeter is not that big. The walk around the perimeter will allow you to view the village as it would have been seen by those in the reign of King Francis the 1st after the walls were completed.

If you turn to the right and head north towards the village entrance you will pass one of the hotels that I will talk about later. Looking out over the western side of the village you see the wide valley of the river Loup. If you look down you will have good views over the medieval buildings of the old village that are outside the walls. You can also see a number of estates with vineyards. Once you get back to the northern tip of the village you can head back south or take a short break in a number of bars and cafés that are located here. When you continue your journey you will see some great views of the surrounding countryside. About half way round you will see a view over the spectacular cliff face of the Baou de Saint Jeannet which dominates the local area. After you have completed this walk you should then plan to go to the top point of the village. If you don’t want to go all the way round there is a side street at the previous view point which goes up to the top.

If you have walked back to the Porte de Nice then you should retrace your steps up the rue Grande until you reach the Place de la Fontaine. At this point you turn right and walk up the Descente de la Castre which will take you up to the church square.

The main attraction is the Collégiale de la Conversion de St Paul, built in the 12th and 13th centuries it has been altered a lot over the years. It’s located at the highest point of the village and built in a Romanesque style with a large square tower. The choir is the oldest part of the church and has some original stalls carved in walnut from the 17th century. If you look left as you enter you will see the painting Ste-Cathérine d’Alexandrie, which has been attributed to Tintoretto. Other attractions are the Trésor de l’Egliseis and a low relief of the Martyrdom of St-Clémenton on the right of the altar.

After you exit the church it’s time explore the museum and shops in the 6th part of the article.