It’s an odd feeling to spend a few days somewhere, to walk in it every day, to visit nearby places, to shop in the stores, to take lots of pictures of the market and other towns…and then to realize, just as you’re leaving, that you’ve hardly taken any pictures of the town itself!
Our apartment was above the red storefront
That’s what happened to us this summer in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, and it gave me such a bad-conscience attack for being a bad guest that I got up early the next morning to walk the (fortunately compact) historic center before leaving to catch a morning train to Paris. If there are few people in these pictures compared to the many in my blog on the Wednesday market in these streets…that’s the reason and my apology!
A plaza off Rue Carnot, alive at night with cafes, but quiet in the morning…
It would seem a usual thing to start with a brief history of the town, from its earliest days too recent times, but there’s not all that much history to be had. Looking online, and in the various brochures we picked up, we realized there’s a centuries-long gap.
it’s easy to find that the town had its beginnings before the destruction of the nearby Celto-Gallo-Roman town of Glanum in 260 AD, as the Roman Empire’s power was slipping; most of the survivors moved to Saint-Remy to live under a more powerful protector, the local bishop.
After that, we know control of the town passed through the hands of various rulers as Provence, and France, were consolidated. We know it lived primarily from agriculture, especially olives and grapes, and that during the middle ages, a town wall was built, surrounding the few blocks that are now the historic center of town. The location of the walls is easily seen by walking around the ring-shaped boulevard surrounding the old town (the name of the boulevard changes four times in a 10-minute walk to honor Gambetta, Victor Hugo, Mirabeau and Marceau).
By the time of the Revolution, it had a population a bit over 5000, and served as the market center for the surrounding area (as it still does). The population grew slowly; by the end of World War 2 it was nearly 7000, and today a bit over 10,000. But in 1793, the population was mainly inside the shaded area of the old town (below); today under 3000 live in the old center.
During all those years, Saint-Remy was not without fame or famous residents, including Nostradamus, who was born there in the 16th-century. Most-famed for his alleged prophecies, in his own time he was an apothecary and pharmaceutical researcher, working especially on antidotes for the then-widespread plague. There’s a fountain in his honor on one of the corners.
Late in the 19th century, Saint-Remy played host to arguably its most famous resident, Vincent Van Gogh, who came to the nearby psychiatric asylum of Saint-Paul de Mausole for treatment after cutting off part of his ear in Arles. During a tortured year in which he was sometimes unable to work at all and sometimes worked at the height of his brilliance, both indoors and in the surrounding area, he produced a huge volume of work, including such well-known works as Starry Night. In all, 142 paintings and hundreds of drawings. For more on Van Gogh’s stay, see this Gumbo blog.
In the 20th century, as Provence became a popular summer destination, Saint-Remy got its share; for many years it has been a popular town for British ex-pats, and even had a flirtation with royalty in the 1990s when Princess Caroline of Monaco and her children lived there for several years.
We enjoyed our five days in Saint-Remy; far more laid-back than our usual city pursuits, but with enough interest (museums, restaurants, walks, beautiful countryside) to keep us busy. It’s not a total tourist destination, though the old center is pretty much given over to that, but not uncomfortably. Besides tourism, the area lives on agriculture, including a specialty trade in seed production for other areas that has its roots in the 19th century. And on Wednesday morning, one of the largest open markets in Provence. A great place to visit…
Some scenes outside the old wall, along the boulevards…
Yes, the cat is sitting on its tail…
The Collegiate Church of Saint-Martin, rebuilt in this style after the original suddenly collapsed in 1818. Its organ is one of France’s best; there is an organ festival every summer, and we were fortunate enough to attend a concert there.
This garage once serviced the now-long-gone Simca cars (car fans may remember!) Simca was founded in France by Fiat, became independent after the war, became a subsidiary of Chrysler Europe, and disappeared in 1978. Since Chrysler is now part of Fiat, it seems like full-circle, but with no new Simcas…
Off the more commercial streets, the town could almost still be in past centuries.
Alright…I’m always a sucker for a bird perched on a statue…
The Hotel de Ville, or Mairie, and the elementary school both bear the national slogan, “Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.”
beautiful town…great pics….
Of course the cat is sitting on it’s tail, so much more convenient than positioning a blanket without thumbs.