traveldk.com

Amid lovely gardens, this museum was purpose-built to house Chagall’s 17 great works on the “Biblical Message” (see Marc Chagall). The collection was later supplemented by oils, sketches, pastels and gouaches, donated by the Russian artist himself. He also created stained-glass windows, a mosaic and tapestry for the museum. The whole provides the world’s best opportunity to appreciate Chagall and the spiritual themes which fascinated him (see Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall, Nice).

A bishop’s palace during the Dark Ages, this building then fell into the hands of the Grimaldi lords of Monaco, before becoming the seat of the royal governors of the region. Today, it is one of the finest art museums in the world, housing 300 works by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (see Pablo Picasso), who worked here in 1946 and donated 25 of his drawings and paintings and more than 100 ceramic pieces. Work by other artists, including Léger, Ernst, Modigliani and Miró, is also on exhibition (see Musée Picasso, Antibes).

The former home of artist Auguste Renoir has been preserved almost exactly as it was at the time of his death in 1919. Ten of his paintings are on display, including Les Grandes Baigneuses (1892), along with works by his friends Raoul Dufy and Pierre Bonnard. The house is surrounded by olive groves (see Venus Victrix).

Bonaparte landed at Golfe-Juan on 1 March 1815 to regain his empire, only to be defeated at Waterloo.

Scenes mix biblical characters with santon figures of Provençal villagers (see Santon Figures).

Born in St-Rémy-de-Provence, the scholar (1503– 66) published his book of prophecies in 1555.

This Romanesque-Byzantine church is the symbol of Marseille. Perched on the city’s highest hill and topped by a great, gold statue of the Virgin, it can be seen from everywhere in the city and is itself all-seeing: the views from the church are spectacular. Built in the 1850s, the vaulted crypt is carved out of the rock while the sanctuary is rich with mosaics and marble.

The driving force behind the Cubist movement, Picasso (1881–1973) was influenced by the sights and colours of Provence, where he lived in exile from his native Spain for much of his life. He learned to make ceramics from the potters of Vallauris and helped revive the craft (see Vallauris).

Longchamp is the greatest expression of Marseille’s 19thcentury “golden age”. What is essentially a water tower is embellished in palatial Second Empire style. Fountains, columns and animal sculptures evoke abundance and fertility. The central gallery is flanked by two ornate wings, home to the Fine Arts and Natural History museums. Lush gardens stretch behind.

One of the best preserved theatres from the Roman empire, built during the reign of Augustus (c.27–25 BC), is the highlight of the Parc de la Colline St-Eutrope. Nearby, a triumphal arch decorated with relief carvings commemorates Julius Caesar’s victories over Gaul (see Roman Theatre, Orange).