Saint-Rémy de Provence Magical Days Soaking up Sun

Saint Remy de Provence (Saint-Rémy de Provence with its lovely French accents) is truly a magical place. We began our visit exploring Roman ruins and learning some of the historic past of Saint-Rémy, including a visit to Saint-Paul de Mausole where there is a small Van Gogh museum.

Once we parked our car near the apartment, I would describe what followed of our visit as laid back and chill. We spent our days  wandering the little streets, exploring little shops and sitting on café terraces enjoying a glass of bubbly.  These times of “just being in the moment” will be what I remember most from our visit.

When I think of Saint-Rémy de Provence I think of…..

…. Lovely shuttered windows creating picture postcard views:

However, my favorite shuttered window came from within our apartment. Each morning we opened the windows from within and the creaking white metal shutters from our petite balcony. Thus, we created the most magnificent view, in my opinion ,for our breakfast.

…Sculptures of the Virgin Mary on the corners of houses/buildings

On many buildings here and in other French cities we saw these lovely statues on building corners. So I went in search of the reason. According to Fr Johannes David, a Jesuit Priest, these statues of the Virgin are both reminders of our faith and protectors of the houses. in the neighborhood

To make us remember things in the past (which meant things belonging to the history of salvation), to instruct us (in what happened and what the Church teaches), and to awaken our desire to imitate the saint in our lives.. . . [and as a special protector ]of the houses, those who live in them, and their neighbourhoods.
Johannes David, Jesuit Priest

… Museums to Explore

There were three museums on our to-do list and we visited exactly none of them. St-Rémy was so lovely we could not bring ourselves to waste the inviting sunshine by being inside, so these are the museums that will be on our list for a return visit:

Hôtel de Sade – as described by their site “History, architecture, great characters and anecdotes”

Musée Estrine, Présence Van Gogh – a modern art museum with a focus on the contributions of Van Gogh to modern and contemporary art

Musée Alpilles  – a regional heritage museum

Restaurants of Note in Saint-Rémy de Provence

We enjoyed a different restaurant at every meal except breakfast but two stand out. If you want a very nice dining experience I would suggest GUS at 31 Blvd Victor Hugo. For casual dining, Bistrot des Alpilles at 15 Blvd Mirabeau, was delightful.

Market Day is Wednesday

The market in Saint-Rémy de Provence is definitely worth the visit! Stalls meander up and down the little streets, filling both large and small squares along the way. Check out my post on Provence Markets to see images of Saint-Rémy as well as other markets we explored.

Let’s talk about the attractions on the southern entrance to Saint-Rémy

Entering Saint-Rémy from the south on the D5 you find the Monastery of Saint- Paul de Mausole and the archeological site of Glanum.

Saint-Paul de Mausole was a monastery established in the 11th century.

The Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole, established in the 11th century, became a psychiatric hospital in the 1600s. Today it remains a place of psychiatric care. On these quiet grounds, parts of the building are dedicated to a small museum. Van Gogh spent time in confinement here beginning in May of 1889 at his own request.

According to site information his time here is considered a major period in his painting: “Fascinated by the quality of the light and the beauty of the landscapes that he discovered in Saint-Rémy, very inspired, happy and relieved to find a serene and understanding atmosphere amongst the nuns and nurses who received him, he carried out 143 oil paintings and more than 100 drawings in the space of 53 weeks. This time in Saint Rémy is considered a major period in the works of Van Gogh.”

At the back of the monastery, the lavender showed promises of lovely flowers to come later.

Monastery cloister

Below is a reproduction of the room where Van Gogh resided at the monastery asylum.

The Roman site of Glanum is fascinating!

Walking the streets of the city of Glanum reminded me of walking the streets of Pompeii in Italy. To step back in time, particularly when it is a giant step back of more than 2000 years, is fascinating. There is so much history here and so much to see that I will only be able to give you a glimpse of what we saw.

Earliest inhabitants of this area date from 7th century B.C. when Gallic tribes settled. The name Glanum originates from a Celtic god Glan, Glan was thought to live in the spring  and this then gave the holy spring healing properties.

Glanum became a Roman colony around 63 B.C. until 260 A.D. when the town was abandoned. It is the Romans who were responsible for the forum, temple, baths and theatre that comprise this archeological site. However, the central focus remained around the holy spring where Glan “lived”.

….There was so much to explore and learn!

Below, on the left, is a mausoleum and on the right the triumphal arch of Glanum. The mausoleum is a monument dedicated to the memory of Roman citizens who had distinguished military service.

Until the archeological dig of the city of Glanum began in 1921, these two antiquities  were the only part of the ancient city that were visible . They were the first part of Glanum that we saw as they are adjacent to the parking area.

The triumphal arch to the right of the mausoleum was built at the end of the reign of Augustus  Caesar who died in 14 A.D.

The view of Glanum in Saint Remy de Provence as you exit the visitor’s center is expansive.

The telephoto view is less impressive than the site itself, unfortunately.

Walking down the hill to the left, we entered the city of Glanum via the main city road.

Central street (la rue principale)

The three columns below are remains of the small Corinthian temple. The temple was dedicated to Valetudo, the Roman goddess of health.

There were twin temples in Glanum and below is an image of the restored columns of one of these twin temples dedicated to the Emperor’s family.

This is typical Mediterranean house. The columns define the courtyard with its pool and the rooms of the house would have surrounded the columns.

We spent nearly two hours exploring the remains and reading the history of this city before our exploration of the tow of Saint Remy de Provence . One of the things I  find most fascinating is that Glanum’s history includes Gauls, Celts, Greeks and Romans.

Mapping our favorite spots in Saint Remy de Provence

I’ve also pinned a star on Parking de la Liberation which is a very nice, large and centrally located free parking area. According to our apartment host, there are security cameras and the location is safe. We left our car here for 4 nights without incidence.