The French Riviera wasn’t always known as a getaway for the rich and famous.  Under the glittery veneer is a subtle beauty that comes not only from the natural surroundings, but also the warmth and joie de vivre of the local residents.

The character of the Côte d’Azur began to change at the end of the nineteenth century, when neoimpressionist painter Paul Signac discovered the remarkable quality of the light in St. Tropez.  Signac brought other artists, including Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, Raoul Dufy, Henri Charles Manguin, and Georges Seurat.

Farther along the Riviera to the east, the medieval “perched” villages of Tourette sur Loup, Vence, and St. Paul de Vence are veritable artist colonies.  Matisse lived near Vence and designed and built the Rosary Chapel nearby.  Marc Chagall is buried in St. Paul’s cemetery.  His mosaics turn up in unlikely places including a baptismal font in a church in Vence and the wall of a private garden.