La Fondation Maeght, France
Anyone spending a cultural holiday in the area around Nice and the Cote d’Azur should definitely pay a visit to the Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght, or Fondation Maeght for short. The museum is located about 25 km from Nice at 623, Chemin des Gardettes, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
Architecture and art
The Maeght Foundation was founded by Marguerite and Maeght in 1964 with the aim of presenting parts of their own extensive collection to the public in a dignified setting. To this end, the Catalan architect Josep Lluis Sert and famous artists such as Georges Braque or Juan Miró designed a highly regarded ensemble of buildings: two houses and a small chapel, which is a memory of the Maeght family’s son who died prematurely. The group of buildings opened as a museum in July 1964.
Paintings and sculptures
The Fondation Maeght uses the entire site to show and present art: while the interior of the building is fascinated by an impressive collection of paintings by modern and contemporary artists, the gardens of the Fondation Maeght are lined with sculptures, installations or sculptures by Miró, for example . Elongated figures, which visitors can see from the café and which seem to guard the courtyard and its visitors, are typical of Alberto Giacometti. The Mediterranean courtyard contains a Braque pool, while the interior of the café was created by Giacometti’s brother Diego.
The mentioned chapel contains windows designed by Braque or Raoul Ubac.
Treasures of the foundation
Overall, the Maeght Foundation has around 12,000 works, of which around 150 paintings and more than 50 sculptures can be counted among international top-class. More than 200,000 visitors marvel at the art every year and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the Marguerite et Aimé Maegh Foundation.
The foundation also has a publicly accessible library with over 30,000 volumes.
Olivier Kaeppelein has been director of the foundation since 2011.
Saint Tropez
the charming little girl on the Côte
A small port town in the south of France with almost 4,500 inhabitants, an incomparable charm and the glamor of a dazzling city. This is Saint-Tropez on the Côte d´Azur, which was declared the cradle of the jet set in the 1950s. The little town in the south of France, once settled by Genoese, has much more to offer. Anyone who is on a study trip will quickly recognize this when they visit the city and its region.
When the painters of the Côte d’Azur fell into disrepair
High up on the citadel of Saint-Tropez, where an interesting museum of maritime and local history is hidden, you find yourself in a different world, far away from high society. Just dreamy little streets and blooming gardens. Especially the view over the city and the sea is breathtaking. No wonder that artists like Matisse or Signac felt drawn towards the end of the 19th century and set up their easels in Saint-Tropez. The inconspicuous fishing village played a leading role, especially in modern art, because there painting developed from pointilism to fauvism. The Musée de l’Annonciade documents this career next to the port with the precious works of these artists.
The church with the colorful tower
The oldest part of the city begins right next to the port in the L´anse de la Glaye district. Colorful houses snuggle up close to each other and make you think a little of Italy. A striking feature in the crowd of the picturesque old town is a colorful tower that shines in yellow and ocher and belongs to the Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption church. A visit to this church with its unusual bell tower is a must. Built as the Eglise Paroissiale in the 11th century, it was destroyed several times over the years and only rebuilt in the Roman-Byzantine style in 1853. The striking bell tower dates from the 18th century and is crowned with a small campanile. Inside the church is decorated with wonderful carvings.
Annecy and Talloire
Culture, sport and relaxation on Lake Annecy
Annecy and Talloire are popular destinations on Lake Annecy in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. Surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Savoy Alps, the idyllic inland lake is one of the cleanest in Europe. The water is pleasantly warm in summer at 24 degrees. Bathers, divers, rowers, sailors and surfers find the best conditions. Around 20 different types of fish await amateur anglers. In restaurants on the lakeshore, star chefs pamper guests with regional specialties. The fireworks display in August with music, lights and water features is the largest in Europe and attracts 200,000 visitors. The impressionist painter Paul Cézanne immortalized the play of lights in the turquoise lake in an oil painting. Churches, museums and three castles in the area around the lake are worth a visit.
Annecy: “Venice of the Alps”
Annecy, named “Alpine City of the Year” in 2012, is 40 kilometers from Geneva on the northern tip of the lake. Small canals, lined with shady arcades, criss-cross the city. That is why Annecy is called “Venice of the Alps”. The listed medieval castle and the Gothic cathedral Saint Pierre from the 16th century are popular destinations for study trips. The pilgrimage church of La Visitation preserves relics of St. Francis de Sales, namesake of the Order of the Salesian Sisters. Every year in the old town, wondrous figures with colorful masks and costumes compete with the Venetian carnival.
Talloire: jewel between lake and mountains
10 kilometers southeast of Annecy lies Talloire at the foot of the highest mountain peak. The small town houses a Benedictine abbey and the hermitage of Saint Germain with a pilgrimage church. Nearby, the Angon waterfall and the Roc de Chère nature reserve on a limestone hill offer spectacular views of the lake. Golfers will appreciate the 18-hole golf course. The annual book fair is a classic for all book lovers. There those interested in literature can meet many contemporary authors for a relaxed exchange of views.