Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Commune in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saint-Paul-de-Vence (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ pɔl də vɑ̃s], literally Saint-Paul of Vence; Occitan: Sant Pau de Vença; Italian: San Paolo di Venza) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. One of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries such as the Fondation Maeght,[3] and for the 17th-century Saint Charles-Saint Claude chapel, which in 2012–2013 was decorated with murals by French artist Paul Conte.[4][5]
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Saint-Paul-de-Vence
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Panorama of Saint-Paul-de-Vence from the path of St. Clare in August 2012 | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Saint-Paul-de-Vence | |
  Saint-Paul-de-Vence  Saint-Paul-de-Vence | |
| Coordinates: 43.698°N 7.122°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Alpes-Maritimes |
| Arrondissement | Grasse |
| Canton | Villeneuve-Loubet |
| Intercommunality | CA Sophia Antipolis |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Jean-Pierre Camilla[1] |
Area 1 | 7.26 km2 (2.80 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 3,203 |
| • Density | 441/km2 (1,140/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 06128 /06570 |
| Elevation | 39–355 m (128–1,165 ft) (avg. 180 m or 590 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Until 2011, the commune was officially called Saint-Paul.[6]
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,570 | — |
| 1975 | 1,917 | +2.89% |
| 1982 | 2,542 | +4.11% |
| 1990 | 2,903 | +1.67% |
| 1999 | 2,847 | −0.22% |
| 2007 | 3,374 | +2.15% |
| 2012 | 3,548 | +1.01% |
| 2017 | 3,477 | −0.40% |
| 2023 | 3,203 | −1.36% |
| Source: INSEE[7] | ||
Notable people
Saint-Paul-de-Vence has long been a haven of the famous, mostly due to the La Colombe d'Or hotel,[8] whose former guests include Jean-Paul Sartre and Pablo Picasso.[9] During the 1960s, the village was frequented by French actors Yves Montand, Simone Signoret and Lino Ventura, and poet Jacques Prévert.[10]
Saint-Paul is also well known for the artists who have lived there, such as Jacques Raverat, Gwen Raverat and Marc Chagall and more recently the couple Bernard-Henri Lévy and Arielle Dombasle.[11] Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has a home there. American writer James Baldwin lived in Saint-Paul-de-Vence for 17 years until his death in 1987.[12][13] British actor Donald Pleasence lived there until his death in 1995.[14]
Former football player Vincenzo Rennella was born in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.[15] Actress and artist Rebecca Dayan was raised in a hotel there.[16]
American comedians Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were married in Saint-Paul-de-Vence by its mayor on 18 September 1984.[17]
