PROVENCE Tour OCTOBER 2015
A guided cultural Tour to Provence in France, led by E V Borg and held between Monday 19th and Friday 23rd October, 2015 Acknowledgements: Participants: Carmen Aquilina Mary Attard E.V. Borg Frank Borg Monica Depasquale Jane Frendo Victoria Lyttleton Lucienne Zahra Stanley Zammit E. V. Borg: tour leader L. Zahra: organization and co-ordination
A 5-day tour visiting Marseilles, Avignon, Le Baux de Provence, Cassis and Aix-en-Provence
Front Cover: Back Cover: Title Page:
Notre Dame de La Garde Cathedral in Marseilles Window and seating in the Papal Palace, Avignon Pont du Gard Aquaduct
E. V. Borg & M. Attard: layout & design E. V. Borg: text M. Attard: photography and captions Visiting the Calanques
PROVENCE Tour OCTOBER 2015
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Tour of PROVENCE Aix-en-Provence - the home of Cezanne by E. V. Borg The idea of touring Provence had been simmering for quite a long time, possibly months if not years, until we took the decision to evaluate the possibilities and the potential of what such experience would add to our baggage: to our education, to our orientation, to our experience, to our exposure to art, culture, history and sociology. We realised
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that Provence was conquered by the Romans after fierce battles against the Gauls whose self-esteem was not inferior to their rivals. The Province had a long prehistory and history. We decided to stay in Aix-enProvence (19 – 23 October 2015) and use it as a hub planning to visit Marseilles, Arles, Nimes, Avignon and perhaps the Camargue.
We did not want to miss the Pont du Gard, or bypass St. Remi, Cassis and the Calanques. In reality we had to settle for less as we were forced to choose between Arles and Nimes.
Then we started going uphill until we reached 155 metres (around 500feet) and parked on the belvedere in front of Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica built in a 19th century Neo-Byzantine style dominated by a gilded statue of the Madonna on a 46 metre belltower. We toured the basilica and took time enjoying its Dusseldorf School decoration in its interior: pseudo-Byzantine mosaics. But the incomparable view from its terraces was breath taking. Below us lay Marseilles the grand port-city with its Vieux Port with numerous boats and yachts moored along its quays and the guardian forts of St. Jean and St. Nicholas. In the distance we saw the Olympique de Marseille.
We arrived in Marseilles early in the morning and were driven all the way to our hotel in Aix-en-Provence. By 10.00 am we had unpacked, ate breakfast and by 11.00 am left to tour Marseilles. We just skirted the NeoGothic church the Cathedrale de la Major, and beside it the 11th century Ancienne Cathedrale. It was a hasty glance from the windows of our minibus. Then we passed by the old part of the town rebuilt after the war as the Nazi troops had destroyed most of it to ferret out their enemies, the dreaded Marseilles is ‘the meeting place of the entire resistance. world’ according to Alexandre Dumas. It is polyglot, a melting pot of nations, languages, cultures and traditions. Since early times this harbour attracted the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Greeks and Romans who made it their own trading mart and settled in the safety of its bay. Naturally the city has a lot of archaeological remains and a museum of archaeology full of amphorae and pottery shards brought up from the depths with the new science of underwater archaeology. A large number of these amphorae were salvaged from an Etruscan vessel found in 30metres of water in the 1970’s.
We had packed lunch near Les Calanques where we relaxed and enjoyed the incoming breeze from the sea. There were some characteristic coves or inlets with boat-houses scheduled for their folkloristic value. We finally drove to the Abbaye de St. Victoir when one of us realised that he had left his backpack behind him. We abandoned the tour of the Abbey and returned to Aixen-Provence. We had dinner at our Hotel de
The first impressions of the port of Marseilles with the Cathedral in the background as seen from our coach
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Galice. The food was good and the enjoyment of dining together was quite explicit. The next day we traced the backpack and retrieved it from the police. The next day we left for Avignon a medieval town or citadel that once was the seat of the Popes. Avignon became the seat of the Popes and the centre of the Roman Catholic Church when they temporarily abandoned war-torn Italy and between 1309 and 1327 seven French Popes ruled unchallenged in this fortified city. The day was bitterly cold and since we were not warned by our guide of the Mistral blowing hard that day we were wearing light clothes. The walled city was impressive and the bridge on the river Rhône was not only historical but also picturesque. Suffering from the cold we hurried into the city through its gate and first visited a herbarium that promoted lavender. We moved on towards the Papal Palace (Palais des Papes) enormous but empty yet exuding history. The chapel frescoes were nothing to write home about but the commentary of the guide was useful to understand better the religious and social aspects of the time. The cavernous dining room became alive with the description that we were provided with.
During the 14th century the papal court at Avignon became a wealthy centre for both learning and the arts extending its influence across the region. The Avignon School dominated. We proceeded to the top of a hill behind Notre Dame des Dome and enjoyed the surroundings below us from a grand belvedere. We could see as far as Chateauneuf-du-Pape and beyond, the Rhone flowed majestically beneath us, the greenery, the fresh air and the scent of moist earth was exhilarating. Yet the bitter cold spoiled the excitement and made us scurry down to the shelter of the bastions guarded by 39 towers and seven gates. We ate a hearty meal in a family restaurant picked by our experienced guide. The atmosphere inside was warm and the camaraderie of the clients was noteworthy. The day ended with a wine-tasting spree, a kind of ritual that had little practical results, in an old cave at Chateauxneuf-du-Pape, a small village built inside the hill with maturing wine stored inside deep caves. The special brand wine is produced on only 13 vineyards, quite limited for commercial purposes and therefore the emphasis is on quality not quantity. Many people think it is a huge wine area which it
Pont Saint-Bénézet, a medieval bridge in the town of Avignon - built between 1177–1185 and declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1995
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is not. Before returning to Aix we visited the Pont du Gard, the highest of Roman aqueducts at 48 metres (158feet), an unequalled feat of engineering begun around 19BC. The visit to this aqueduct was really worthwhile. On our arrival in Aix we dined at the hotel and then visited its centro storico having a drink or coffee at the historical Le Deux Garcons (a fashionable café where the literary people and artists used to meet). St. Remi-de-Provence is ideal to explore the Alpilles countryside that produces the herbs that the town market is famous for. Our visit was very relaxing as we did not insist on visiting museums, churches or places of interest. The market was crowded with people and it was no easy job for our driver to park for a few minutes to allow us to get down from the minibus. The group broke up into smaller groups and went around the market or had a drink in a café. The shops and cafes were quaint and characteristic of the place. We enjoyed the stop and drove for about 15 minutes to the Triumphal Arch at Glanum, built during the reign of Agustus, in 10 BC to celebrate Caesar’s conquest of the Greeks and Gauls. Glanum is a GrecoRoman town at the head of a valley in the Alpilles and the remains that still exist are called Les Antiques by the natives. Nearby there is the mental hospital where Van Gogh stayed: Cliniques de St-Paul de Mausole where the artist passed the last years of his life before he died in 1890. Here he painted some turbulent works and interpreted about 30 works of art by other masters including Delacroix. This part of Provence is called the land of Van Gogh. The artist chose it for its climate and the bright sun and light. Le Baux-de-Provence lies between Arles and Avignon. It hangs on to an escarpment, a hill with cliff formation. Bau in Provençal means escarpment. It is a perched village (village perchés). It has quite a history. These fierce warriors originated the troubadours Courts of Love and wooed noble ladies with poetry
Our French guide in Arles near a Van Gogh painting standing on the same site it was painted
and song. The atmosphere of the place is impressive. It is naturally built to stem the attack of the enemy. It is a military stronghold, the most dramatic fortress site in Provence with views across the Camarague. We enjoyed walking through its streets. The air was cool and fresh and we enjoyed the overwhelming vista from its walls. Bauxite, a rock was found in the town’s enclave and given the name of the place. Arles was our next stop where we stopped for lunch at La Galere, on the river bank. The town is Roman and small enough to walk to all the ruins in a few hours: the Roman Baths what remains of Constantine’s palace built in the 4th century AD; the Roman Forum with the Café Van Gogh across the street; the Theatre and Amphitheatre with arches
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made from huge slabs of rock. We entered the Cloister dedicated to Van Gogh with a library and exhibition space and stopped to appreciate the Church of St. Trophime with cloister and a portal of the 12th century. The fine Romanesque façade of the abbey church is included in all respectable outlines of world architecture and inserted as one of the jewels in the Romanesque period. Later we returned to Aix. We dedicated the last day to Aix-en-Provence. It was very impressive and interesting in both historical and social senses. We were impressed by the several market, vegetable, meat and flower, especially the latter for the colour and scent. The medieval core is dominated by a stupendous clock-tower and the cathedral a little distance away gave us an idea of a Christian cathedral built on Roman ruins. The Baptistery is an original Roman building, strong, heavy and sturdy. Unfortunately it was roofed in the 18th century with a Baroque lantern not in keeping with the classical origin. The shops are a delightful sight, traditional, folkloristic and quaint.
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In the afternoon we arrived in Cassis, a small inlet of great natural beauty which we beheld from the top of a massive cliff, a bird’s eye view, breath-taking and overwhelming. We ate in a fish restaurant and enjoyed the meal and the local wine. The day ended with a relaxing trip on a boat or launch that took us to all the inlets of the Calanques. The crystal clear water was teeming with fish, large and well fed. Children and adults on the boat enjoyed feeding them crumbs of bread. They swallowed the crumbs and darted away. The sun was going down while we loitered on the quay reluctant to leave. The driver made the sign that it was getting late and we made for the minibus. Early next morning we woke up early and started our trip back home. Since the flight was a bit early we returned to Malta at about 11.00am.
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A beach in Cassis, a popular tourist destination
Arriving at Marseille airport
Just settled down in our hotel Le Galice in Aix-en-Provence
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Marseilles
Our first impression on touring Marseilles with the Cathedral beyond
The Port of Marseilles
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Contemporary Museum along the port of Marseilles
The new events pavilion is a simple, discreet canopy of highly reflective stainless steel solar panels, 46 by 22 metres in size, open on all sides and supported by slender pillars Aerial view over Marseilles
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Le Corbusier’s first Unité d’Habitation is arguably the most influential Brutalist building of all time. With its human proportions, chunky pilotis (supports) and interior “streets”, it redefined highdensity housing by reimagining a city inside an 18-storey slab block. Completed in 1952 in Marseille, the building took Le Corbusier’s most famous quote – that a house is “a machine for living in” – and applied it to an entire community. The result was a self-contained concrete vessel that is structured like an ocean liner. The architect called the building La Cité Radieuse, or “the radiant city”, and it has successfully accommodated a mix of uses ever since completion. Its 337 apartments can accommodate 1,600 residents, but it also boasts two shopping streets, a hotel and a rooftop terrace. Today, La Cité Radieuse is still home to many of its original occupants. It is recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site, and has remained a favourite with architects – even before it was complete, late Italian architect Gio Ponti branded it as “a true monument in the history of French construction”.
Another aerial view over the port of Marseilles
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Notre Dame de La Garde Cathedral in Marseilles dedicated to local fishermen who hang models of their boats from the ceiling
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Les Calanques Calanques are inlet seas, common between Marseilles and Cassis
A fishing village around a calanque
La Granda Candèla (the great candle in Provençal Occitan) a small peak considered by many as a test for an expert hiker with climbing abilities
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Avignon
The Pope’s Palace
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Visiting the Papal Palace in Avignon
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Ammunition samples used in those days
The ceiling of the Salle de la Petite Audience decorated with military trophies and standards with Latin inscriptions
Samples of pebbled grounds
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Various angles in the courtyard of the Papal Palace
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Courtyard in the Palace where the quarters for the Pope’s concubines and their children resided Being informed about the Palace layout and life within
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Seating near windows for security guards while watching over the grounds
Our guide explaining how storage of food was done and above the vent for ventilation
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An artist impression of the grandeur of the banquet hall in those times
A section of the Chapelle Saint-Jean The window from where the Pope bestowed his triple blessing on the crowd gathered in the Place du Palais. This window is a 20th C replica
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A Gallery of past Popes portraits depicted at their best Explanation by guide on how banquets used to take place
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Fragments of old tiles and ramnants of frescoes in the Deer Room in the Papal Palace
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Enjoying a lovely meal with our guide after the Papal Palace Tour
Fridge magnets depicting the local scenery and the well loved lavendar
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Provence is synonymous with lavendar and one finds the purple colour everywhere besides museums about lavendar and all sorts of related items made from lavendar such as soaps and perfumes
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A demonstration by our French guide on the different types of lavendar and their uses, at one of the lavendar shops in the area
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Chateauxneuf du papes
An interesting visit to a wine cellar where we were treated - and educated - to some lovely wine tasting
Vineyards in the area are covered in special gravel to achieve a certain quality of wine
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Being educated in wine tasting
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Pont du Gard
Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River in southern France. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1985
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Le Baux-de-Provence Les Baux-de-Provence is located in the foothills of the Alpilles in the Parc Naturel Regional des Alpilles some 22 km south of Avignon and 15 km north-east of Arles
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The Post Tenebras Lux window, a Renaissance remains of a 1571 mansion with an inscription in Latin at the top meaning ‘After the Darkness, Light’
Ramnants of the charming 13th C medieval village which was listed in 1999 as one of the most beautiful villages in France
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Samples of santons as displayed in a museum in the village
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At one point we were taken to a high viewpoint for a panoramic view of Cassis
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Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Saint-Rémy-de-Provence was the birthplace of Nostradamus, a 16th C author of prophecies. The painter Vincent van Gogh was treated here in the psychiatric center at Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole (1889–1890). The Starry Night, (left), was painted by Vincent van Gogh while in Saint-Rémy
The colourful display of merchandise in street markets
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A notice saying that this is the area which inspired most of the landscapes of Van Gogh
Entrance to the Mental Hospital where Van Gogh was for some time
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A typical scene in the area that inspired Van Gogh
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Arles
Present day localities which were immortalised in the paintings by Van Gogh, The Cafe Terrace (above) and Le Jardin de l’Hôtel de Dieu (below). Both places are kept in line with the characteristics of the paintings
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What remains from the Roman Forum of the 4th C, now incorporated into a hotel facade
The Espace van Gogh was originally built in the sixteenth century as Arles main hospital and it remained as such well into the twentieth. It’s major claim to fame is that it was here that Van Gogh was committed after the infamous episode of cutting off his left earlobe in December 1888. The courtyard has been extensively planted out to resemble as closely as possible his famous painting “Le Jardin de l’Hôtel de Dieu”. The complex now houses the town library as well as exhibition spaces, a series of souvenir shops and a cafe
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Place de la Republique with the Obélisque d’Arles (1676) and the Romanesque Cathédrale Saint-Trophime (12th C) behind it
The Romanesque Cathedral of St. Trophime is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral built between the 12th century and the 15th century in the city of Arles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône Department of southern France. The sculptures over the portal (see left), particularly the Last Judgement, and the columns in the adjacent cloister, are considered some of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture. The 4th-century Roman obelisk in the square was designated in 1981 as a Unesco World Heritage monument
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Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre dates back to 20 BC
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Aix-en-Provence
Fontaine de la Rotonde in Cours Mirabeau d’Aix-en-Provence, 1860. It is 32 metre wide and 12 metre high. It is surrounded by bronze sculptures of twelve lions, sirens, swans, and angels on the backs of dolphins. At the top of the fountain are three sculptures of female figures presenting Justice
Mirabeau (boulevard) in Aix-en-Provence with the statue of King Rene at the back
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Les Deux Garçons is a popular Cafe in the lively area known as the Cours Mirabeau. During its history this Cafe was frequented by famous French cultural figures such as Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola and Albert Camus. Images of such personalities are on its Menu
The two telamons painfully supporting the balcony, are a frequent pattern in Provençal sculpture on rich dwellings front doors
A statue of King Rene (le Roi Rene) can be found at the east end of Cours Mirabeau (boulevard) in Aix-en-Provence
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A flower market in a square in Aix de Provence. L’Ancienne Halle aux Grains (the former Corn Exchange) shown here at the back was built in 1759-1761. Now a post office and library
Corner statues were often made cheaply in wood when funds were lacking
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Place d’Albertas (1745/46) is one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in Provence
Children enjoying the music of a busker
A neo classic sculpture on the tympanum of L’Ancienne Halle aux Grains (see flower market on the left). It is an allegorical pediment featuring the Rhône and Durance rivers as male and female figures (the latter, pictured, dangles a languorous leg).
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Palais des Podestats – the 13th century fortified Palace of the Podestà served as the seat of power during the Middle Ages, housing at times the offices of the Consuls, Chief Magistrates (Podestàs), and Counts. Today it serves as offices of municipal services
The leader scouting the area for historical and interesting spots, followed by the group
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The17th century Hôtel Boyer d'Éguilles has wonderful architecture, now used as a Natural History Museum
Learning about the history behind the legendry popular French candy known as the callissons
A 1910 calissons cutter machine
Calissons are a traditional French candy consisting of a smooth, pale yellow, homogeneous paste of candied fruit (especially melons and oranges) and ground almonds topped with a thin layer of royal icing. Calissons are often almond-shaped and are typically about two inches in length. They are traditionally associated with the town of Aix-en-Provence, France Some trace the introduction of calissons to Provence around the mid-15th century at the second wedding of King Rene of Anjou.
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The Baptistry Rotunda
CathĂŠdrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix-en-Provence is a Roman Catholic Church and the seat of the Archbishop of Aix. It was built and re-built from the 12th until the 19th C. It includes Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic elements, as well as Roman columns and parts of the baptistery from a 5th C Christian church. It is a national monument of France Baptistery of Aix Cathedral (5th C)
Gothic choir and the green organ (1745) is in the Louis XV style
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A most valuable artwork in the Cathedral is The Burning Bush triptych by Nicolas Froment, an Avignon painter - a masterpiece of the 15th C
Cassis Cassis is a popular tourist destination famous for its cliffs (falaises) and the sheltered inlets called calanques
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Enjoying the inlet calanques during a boat trip
After this stop in Cassis we headed to our hotel to have our last dinner together and prepare our journey back home in the morning...
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The popular seaside village, Cassis, with the 13th C Château de Cassis on top (now a private property)