The perfectly perched village of St Paul de Vence is arguably one of the best known on the Cote d’Azur – and even, let’s be honest, in the whole of France.
Located on a rocky promontory 12km north-east of Nice and enjoying magnificent views along the Riviera, the village is hugely popular with visitors who flock to its meandering streets and shady squares in their millions every year. In the height of summer, up to seven thousand tourists visit Saint Paul de Vence every day.
Unsurprisingly, the village has also become one of the most coveted addresses for house-hunters looking for property for sale South of France, with a number of extremely well-known figures already having made St Paul de Vence their home.
A large number of those searching for properties for sale in St Paul de Vence do so because of its rich and colourful history, which is made abundantly apparent from every cobbled alleyway and fountain in this charming village which towers over the surrounding countryside at an altitude of 180 metres.
Due to its perched position St Paul de Vence was initially used as a strategic look out by its first settlers which are believed to have been a band of Ligurians from north-west Italy who came to the region in around 400BC.
The village, around which can be found some of the most exclusive property for sale South of France, fell under Roman control in around 120BC, later becoming known as Castrum Sancti Pauli – meaning St Paul’s fortress – when it was populated by Christians in the early AD centuries.
In 1537 Saint Paul de Vence became a ‘royal borough’ under the direct authority of the King of France, with a continuous wall being built around the cobbled streets and stone houses at the request of Francois I. However, in 1747, disaster struck when the village was virtually destroyed during the wars of succession, and many of the buildings were destroyed.
Fast-forward two centuries and Saint Paul de Vence entered a new era after being discovered by a group of impressionist artists. The village became the chosen home from home for artists such as Picasso, Matisse and Marc Chagall, who was buried there at his request.
Today those searching for properties for sale in Saint Paul de Vence will be able to enjoy the artists’ wonderful heritage by dining at the famous Colombe d’Or restaurant, in which hangs many valuable pieces of art from the early 20th century. The village also boasts the Fondation Maeght, a world renowned modern art museum.
