A visit to St. Paul de Vence - Part 6

A visit to St. Paul de Vence - Part 6

After you exit the church there are other points of interest at the top of the hill. They are the Chapel of the White Penitents, the quaint Town Hall and a museum in a village house that dates to the 1500s. This has a collection of dioramas which illustrate the history of the village.

Admission to this is 3€ for adults and 2€ for students and children under 18. The same ticket also gains you entrance to the awe inspiring Chapel of the White Penitents just across the street. The artist Folon, who worked on his masterpiece until his death in 2005, decorated the church using modern plaster effects and mosaics. The vast interior comes alive with frescoes and sunny paintings and it was recently opened to the public in 2008.

Now it’s time to start a general wander through all the side streets. You will find that you can hardly take a few steps in Saint Paul without happening on another art gallery, tourist shop or gourmet food provider. Even if you aren' t ready to spend money on original artwork or prints, it is simply enjoyable to gaze at the various works. However be warned that all the shop with original artwork are very expensive.

However as an artists' village you can also find smaller shops in the side streets which are filled with more affordable artwork in the form of various crafts. The costume jewellery on sale at many of the shops is quite affordable and unique. There are interesting and creative things for decorating your home throughout the town. At a few locations you come across a variety of Provencal fabrics on sale, as well as local gourmet delicacies like olive oils, wine and fruit liquors. Also as you walk through the village, be sure to look up so you don' t miss some of the artwork embedded in the walls. This includes religious statues and various other carvings.

If you phone in advance to the local tourist office you can arrange to take one of several distinctly themed walking tours of the town’s historic core, as well as to some of the town’s outskirts. The tours last for about an hour and are priced at 5€ each. They all depart from the tourist office just inside the North gate. Depending on your interests, tours may highlight the city’s history, architecture or the artists who lived there and the works they created.

For the final part of this series I will deal what just outside the walls and the hotels and restaurants.