Provence is located in the south of France. Originally, Provence extended from the Alps in the north to the Pyrenees in the south and included the entire southern region of France. During the Roman Empire, Provence was included as a province of its own, and during the Revolution in the late 18th century, France was divided into five different administrative provinces, of which Provence was one. In the 1960s, the administrative departments were regrouped into 22 regions, giving rise to the current Provence-Alpes region. Before and after the gentle university town of Aix and the papal city of Avignon, there are small medieval villages and old mountain towns that have escaped the century's changes.
Aix-en-Provence, home of the painter Paul Cézanne, has been a university town since the Middle Ages and is also known as the "city of springs". It was the ancient capital of Roman Provence. It is still known today for its Roman ruins and its medieval, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. The city of Aix is also known for its unique cuisine, rosé wine, and a special language, the Proven?al dialect. Life in Provence is simple and noble, and coming here alone to slow down the pace and take a good breath of forgotten herbs and a taste of freshly made cheeses is one of life's rare moments.
The old town of Arles in South Provence is famous for its warm and bright Mediterranean sunshine and fashionable art style. Anyone who has read the biography of Van Gogh will probably remember that the brilliant painter worked and lived here. And the streets, houses and bars here are filled with a strong artistic flavor. Ancient Roman architecture (the Als are descended from the ancient Romans), the works of artists, and people living in modern civilization live here in harmony and tranquility. Every July, it also hosts a very trendy International Photography Festival, which exhibits today's great trend-setting photographers and trendsetters in the old stone alleys and small squares. "In the summer, in order to buy a little something for everyday use, one often has to wait in line behind a long line of tourists, waiting for them to pay for a postcard or two one by one. It's tiresome." For all the locals' complaints, quiet returns here after the tourist season.
The Provence-Alpes-C?te d'Azur region in the south of France is a rich land of flowers, sunshine and good food. It is full of vineyards, fig trees, olive groves and clear springs, with endless variations of light and color. Clear sunshine, charming harbors, beautiful wilderness, villages filled with thyme and lavender, and the ruins of the Roman era are all part of a civilization that has inspired the creators of art. Van Gogh, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Riegel, Renoir, Fragonard, Cocteau and many others were inspired by the beauty of the C?te d'Azur to record with their brushes the best of nature's offerings. That is why Nice, Saint-Rémy, Arles and Antibes all have wonderful galleries to visit. There is something else to be said for taking a look at the view from a drawing room while you are visiting the sights.
Nice - Elegant Chagall and Wild Matisse
Nice has 18 museums, two of the most famous - the Chagall Museum and the Matisse Museum. The Chagall Museum of Fine Arts is located at the entrance to the QUARTIERCIMIEZ, which can be reached by bus 15 from the Place Masséna. In addition to more than 200 small works, the Museum of Fine Arts is most intrigued by the 17 huge works (1954-1967) based on the Bible.
Chagall's "Song of Songs" is a five-panel grouping in a hexagonal gallery, with the mosaic mirrored in a nearby pool, where the work and the water form a fantastical ambience, and where one seems to be wading into a river of dreams. Chagall's symbols, organized on a flat surface, have the rhythm of a sleepwalker, treating fantasy as a real experience, a sense of novelty in the face of the world that is almost childlike. Wandering through his paintings, I hear the sound of angels flapping their wings, the sound of leaves growing, of flowers blooming, of horses whistling ...... Because of these paintings, these dreamy colors, the winter days in Nice have become serene and long ......
Matisse, the leading figure of Fauvism, uninhibited, free style of painting is regarded as a rebel of classicism, this kind of unrestrained and smooth, frank and spontaneous expression, precisely with the romantic city of Nice this coastal mirrored, as if Matisse from Nice to find the power of liberation. Matisse's paintings benefited from the transparent and pure sunlight of Nice, and he once exclaimed, "I couldn't believe my good fortune when I realized that I would see this light again every day." The Matisse Museum is located in a park centered on the Roman Colosseum at the corner of BD.DECIMIEZ in Nice. The museum has a rich collection of interesting items, including sketches of the Dance and sketches of the design of the chapel. Matisse devoted his life to the use of color as an independent language to achieve an atmosphere of purity and serenity, and excelled in the use of stretching, free lines to reveal the most essential features of the figure. Color was the story and secret that he could not stop telling throughout his life, and his life was clearly elongated by color, like the sound of a slow and bright flowing water.
Antibes--An appreciation of Picasso's later works
Antibes is a village surrounded by walls on the eastern side of Cap d'Antibes. The talented painter Picasso tried many different modes of creation and traveled around the world during his life. In 1920, he came to the C?te d'Azur and was amazed by the vibrant colors here, so he lived there with his girlfriend. Among them, Antibes preserved Picasso's works at that time and established the Picasso Museum (MUSEEPICASSO). Inside the museum, one can appreciate the master's way of painting at that time with deep outlines and bold and rich colors. Various yachts are lined up along the coast outside the museum, and a jazz festival is held every year.
The old town is centered around the Grimaldi Castle, where the Picasso Museum is located. It displays works created by Picasso when he lived here in 1946, as well as pottery and modern artworks by other artists. The Picasso Museum is in a secluded spot facing the sea with fewer visitors, so you can take your time and savor the works.
Van Gogh's life's work is the richest place of creation
Van Gogh in Arles is happy, although he has entered the end of his life; "the women of Arles are the most beautiful in the world", in the gorgeous sunshine of South France, Van Gogh was passionate, this ill-fated man was not the most beautiful. In the sunshine of South France, Van Gogh was full of passion, and the painter with a difficult fate burst into the most abundant page of his life in Arles. Although Van Gogh spent less than three months in Arles, the richest and most exuberant phase of his life was this time, with more than 200 paintings, almost the sum of the works he painted during his two years in Paris. The great unforgettable paintings such as Sunflowers, Café Nocturne, The Sower, and Self-Portrait after Cutting Off an Ear were all created here. Wandering through the old town of Arles, the cafes remain the same, the hospital in Arles remains the same, the sunflowers remain the same, the sunshine remains the same - just as it was when Van Gogh painted them a century ago.
In the city of Arles, you can follow the signs to find the scene where Van Gogh stopped to paint. Van Gogh undoubtedly painted Arles, but Arles has its own beauty: it was the capital of Provence in Roman times, and at one time it was of great strategic importance. In the 6th century BC, the Greeks brought cherry trees, chestnut trees, olive trees and Latin. But it was the invading Romans who really shaped the culture, building a series of theaters, spas, cemeteries, and other structures, notably the huge amphitheater, built around 80 AD, which could seat 20,000 spectators and was used for gladiator fights. Today, the old amphitheater is the site of the most important Provencal festival, the Bullfighting Festival, which takes place every year around Easter and in the summer.
The charm of Arles attracted not only Van Gogh, but also Chaplin, Hemingway, Dali, and Picasso, who loved the bullfighting and flamenco music. Frederic Mistral, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, established a museum in Arles dedicated to life in Provence.
There are three self-guided tours of Arles: colorful signs with arrows along the sidewalks guide visitors' way. The yellow ones are all about Van Gogh; the green ones are about medieval heritage monuments, and the blue ones are about "Roman Arles".
Saint-Rémy - visit to the Saint-Paul asylum
On May 8, 1889, Van Gogh voluntarily came to the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy, 25 kilometers northeast of Arles. Today it is also the most important point to find Van Gogh's footprints. The yellow color of the Arles period disappeared, replaced by the blue-violet color of "Iris" and "Starry Night". When the flowers spread on the paper, like the body opening itself in the tide of the season; when the starry night sky rotates on the canvas, it is the surge of Van Gogh's inner emotions. During the treatment period, Van Gogh was always painting, he painted the hospital garden, irises, doctors, the landscape outside the window, olive groves; he incorporated the alternating hope and despair, enthusiasm and loneliness in his heart into his paintings, and the lines became more concise, strong and thick. The earth, the sky, the starry night, and the trees all take on an eye-string-inducing thrill.
St. Remy is also an old town rich in history, a busy and vibrant village. Originally a convent, St. Paul's Asylum is one of the most beautiful religious sites in Provence. It is still a hospital, where visitors must be absolutely quiet, and where you can buy beautiful reproductions of Van Gogh's works, the proceeds of which are used for the maintenance of the old building. It's worth seeing the exhibition of paintings by psychiatric patients.
Aix - Cézanne's hometown
The city of Aix, home of the painter Paul Cézanne, has been a university town since the Middle Ages and is also known as the "City of Springs". It was the ancient capital of Roman Provence and is still known today for its Roman ruins, medieval, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. The city of Aix is also known for its unique cuisine, rosé wines, and its distinctive language, the Proven?al dialect. To see an exhibition of Cézanne's paintings, it's best to visit LEBAUXDEPROVENCE, not far away, which is one of the most beautiful villages in South France, built in huge white stone formations, and containing many 11th and 12th-century ruins, many of which were left by the Romans. Climb the platform on the rocky hill for a sweeping view of the Luberon mountains. Fields of lavender, clusters of olive groves, and tall pines and cypresses are a tapestry of yellows and greens, reds and purples. The grotto was hosting an exhibition of images of Cézanne's paintings on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Cézanne, the famous Impressionist, whose paintings are honored in Provence, his hometown. The cavern itself is a very good exhibition hall, slides and images projected on the huge and rough rock wall, more of that oil painting shock effect. The strong colors and clear lines of the brushstrokes, together with the beautiful music and flowing images, really puts you in the dream of the changing seasons in Provence.
Italy's most beautiful Mediterranean town
Positano has long been a villa area for socialites. Ballet star Rudolf Nureyev and Prince Joachim Murat of Naples owned private villas here, while American author John Steinbeck and playwright Tennessee Williams were both regular visitors to Positano.
Italian proverb: "Take one look at Naples and die." -- Indeed. Positano is known as the prettiest town on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy.
Tiny houses, slowly climbing up the hillside from the sea, are painted in different colors, and flowers dot the cliffs. These colors are typical of the Mediterranean, mustard yellow, dark orange-red, the sun deepens their depth. The paths that lead through them are labyrinthine, and you have to pace yourself to explore them.
Into the labyrinth of houses, every house, you wish you were its owner. Walking along the old stone paths, the crisp echo of your footsteps is beautiful music. As long as you keep going downhill, sooner or later you will see the beautiful sandy beaches ......
Full of the Mediterranean Sea's magnificent seascape, the sky is clarified so that there is no trace of impurities in the blue. The beach is neatly lined with colorful umbrellas, beach chairs and yachts. The azure sea is scattered with dots of white sails of yachts, like a string of broken pearls ......
Sunlight on the sea, a little broken gold, attracting people on the beach to blow the sea breeze, look at the seascape ...... such a fatal and charming scenery, it will really let people The illusion that at any time there may be angels in the sky at first glance. In the ears of the soft music, in front of the unparalleled Mediterranean landscape, surrounded by the leisure of the tourists (see Figure 33).
Several cliffside restaurants, snow-white umbrellas, carved cast iron tables and chairs, a sense of leisure and comfort. The shore scattered piles of some irregular round stone columns, the cliff side of the verdant trees in the vaguely small bunker. The busy people of the city would like to put down their work and run to a place where there is only sunshine and beaches to escape from the worries of the world.
One of the most beautiful spots - Amalfi Coast
This is one of the 50 most beautiful spots in the world, belonging to the Italian mountains, but with the gentle wind of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Driving with the wind, the flowery slopes of the deep water road full of fragrance. The former residence of Garbo, Ravello, is filled with red geraniums. Listening to the sound of the waves of Minoli, terns fluttering wings, déjà vu return. The walker finally calmed his worries, as the twilight descended on the silent mountains.
The plane through the clouds, the golden sunset, the distant mountains, the twilight rose. The Bay of Naples, surrounded by Mount Vesuvius, reaches towards the sky. The setting sun red, has long been soaked throughout the sea. The scattered houses, waves and sails are covered by the smoke and haze, which is calm, peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful. In 1999, after two years of careful selection, National Geographic magazine selected 50 places that must be visited in a lifetime. Italy's Amalfi Coast was among them, and along with the Greek islands, it was called "Paradise found".
The Amalfi Coast, which belongs to the southern Italian region of Campania, extends from the small seaside town of Salerno in the east to Sorrento, less than an hour's drive from Naples, and includes a number of coastal areas such as Ravello, Positano, Minori and Amalfi. Amalfi and other small towns with beautiful scenery. Most of the houses are built on the mountains with white walls, and from a distance they look like big birds perched on the jagged rocks.
Minoli
Our car took the highway towards Salerno, the western entrance to the Amalfi Coast. Both the temperature and the driving style of the cars around us hinted at how hot South Italy can be - while traffic was jammed and stalled, little dudes on motorcycles often sped through long lines, leaving a trail of pungent smoke in their wake.
The highway is built on a mountainous terrain, and the car rises and falls on steep slopes, with a heart-warming turquoise color outside the window. Ancient castles stand by the sea, green umbrellas line the streets, and the word "Minori" appears in big letters on a signboard, bringing the first town of Minori within sight.
Minori is not described in the brochures, but it feels special when you first arrive.
The beach is built on the cliffs, blooming into a beautiful arc, two rows of palm trees surrounded by green shadows, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, fly glasses of the woman, raise the corners of the mouth, smile as bright as the noonday sun. Once upon a time, Italian aristocrats opened their residences here, leaving the bustle of Rome behind for a few days of simplicity and purity. Nowadays, this place has become a good place to swim, laze around, sunbathe and watch bikini beauties. The only way to remember what it was like in its heyday is to see the few churches along the street, with their quaint little round corners. What hasn't changed is the wind of the Tyrrhenian Sea, blowing for centuries, always with a hint of lemon.
La Vero, the hermitage of celebrities
Since Minoli westbound, the mountain all the way up, the rear-view mirror of the seascape gradually receded, was replaced by a piece of deep green. It's the terraces, full of turquoise mountains, rolling green waves in the shade of the golden rush of rain.
At the end of the terraces, in the mountains, is the small town of Ravello, which is not well known, but has been home to a number of celebrities - composer Wagner, Pope Charles I, Jesse Kennedy, and Hollywood's beloved Greta Garbo. Garbo.
Take the trail south to Villa Cimbrone, the former hideaway that star Garbo used to hide from the paparazzi. There are a number of uniquely shaped trees along the way, the two most famous being in the Villa Rufolo gardens, which, along with the church's spire, have become postcard favorites in Ravello. The right side of the path is planted with vines, the distant hills are undulating and verdant, and the sky is almost pale in color.
The Villa Cimpone is hidden behind a wooden door, while a large pot of geraniums stands in front of it. When you push the door, the geraniums are in full bloom, and the place is now used as a hotel, with long grass in front of the door and a great view of the sea. However, only guests of the hotel are allowed to enter the garden, so I was upset. Strolling in the garden, I entered a small pavilion with a dome, dotted with pink flowers, very pleasing to the eye. Going forward, there is a corridor, which is the soul of the original Simponai villa is here - the whole Amalfi Bay, white Roman statues, flaming red geraniums in full view.
The sea breeze blowing in the face, the distant mountains Dai shallow, near the shore of the vast waves of smoke, just some steep slopes snail, just for this moment in the top, really all the mountains are small, reflecting the sun flowers are different red.
Cabri, the sea Penglai
Line to the beach, but not on the island to see, such as into the treasure mountain empty-handed return, inevitably regret. The three main islands of the Amalfi Coast are Ischia, Capri and Procida. Before in a friend's photo album, I saw a Capri island mountain top overlooking the seascape - 10,000 feet cliffs, the waves beat the shore - can not help but God for the capture, said: Capri, you're it.
There are ferries to the island of Capri from the docks in Naples and Sorrento. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that, but I'm going to be able to do it," he said. The morning sunlight is slight, the light waves scattered a few gull cries. The boat slowly sailed, not far from the vermilion lighthouse, along with the stars of the Neapolitan mountains, is slowly away from us.
What comes to mind when you think of Capri? Old women clutching Chihuahuas? Women carrying Gucci bags? It's the most expensive island in all of Italy, and in the summer there's a tidal wave of tourists. The island is divided into two parts, Capri in the east and Anacapri in the west, each reached by hiking railroad tracks.
Remembering a friend's anecdote about Anacapri - Augustus the Great, who traveled all the way south and wanted to build his palace in Rome, came to Anacapri by chance and fell in love with it at first sight. The cliffs of Anacabri, therefore, have a wonderful use - bungee jumping, but the kind of bungee jumping with no return. When the emperor was depressed, he recruited a few unhappy servants and threw them from the cliffs, and the wind and waves were so high that they disappeared in the blue Tyrrhenian Sea in a whoosh.
Annacabri's most famous attraction is Villa St Michelle, less than a five-minute walk north of Piazza vittoria, where the 800 steps on one side of the villa were the only way to connect the villages of Anacabri and Cabri before the panoramic road opened. This overlooks the entire bay, with the islands of Ischia and Procida looming in the distance as if they were a sea paradise.
The Amalfi Coast connects long stretches of beauty where it is possible to wake up and get drunk, where one day is longer than a century.