A mundane chore, such as carrying home groceries, becomes a beautiful scene in the narrow lanes of St.-Rémy-de-Provence. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
A mundane chore, such as carrying home groceries, becomes a beautiful scene in the narrow lanes of St.-Rémy-de-Provence. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Provençal specialties on sale at the Wednesday morning market in St. Rémy. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
The cloister of St.-Paul-de-Mausole monastery in St. Rémy. A sanatorium since the mid-18th century, artist Vincent van Gogh was once confined here. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Cafe life thrives in picture-perfect St. Rémy. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Tourists and locals alike enjoy the famous Provençal market on Wednesday mornings, where vendors sell everything from olive oil and “herbes de Provence” to soaps and fabrics. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
St. Rémy is the picture-perfect base for touring western Provence. It is a charming, laid-back town that is the birthplace of astrologer Nostradamus and where, in a creative flurry of genius, Vincent van Gogh painted more than 100 works.
On the edge of the Alpilles, St. Rémy is a short drive through the hills to the castle-topped village of Les Baux, only 15 miles to Arles and just 11 to Avignon. St. Rémy is also only 25 miles from the Mediterranean at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and 56 miles from Marseilles. And the mountain villages of Gordes, Bonnieux and Ménerbes in the Luberon are only a day trip away.
But there are plenty of reasons to visit St. Rémy in itself: the Wednesday market, the shaded boulevards, lively cafes and the antiquities of Glanum.
On the southern outskirts of town, Glanum dates to the sixth century B.C. when it was founded by Celtic-Ligurian people known as the Glanics. After coming into contact with Greeks from Massalia (today’s Marseille), a Hellenistic community arose here with a temple and agora in the second and third century B.C.
After the Roman conquest of the area, public buildings — basilica, temples, forums and baths — were erected under Augustus. The site was abandoned after the barbarian invasions at the end of the third century, and only the triumphal arch and the 60-foot-high mausoleum at the entrance to Glanum was visible until excavations of the site began in 1921.
St. Rémy was not founded until after the fall of Glanum. Its medieval center was once surrounded by fortifications. Today, a ring road lined with plane trees runs where the fortifications once stood. The town’s center is still a maze of narrow alleyways, barely wide enough for cars to slip through.
Inside the maze, fountains splash on cobblestone squares and lazy cats watch from ancient walls as tourists try to find their way through, searching for Nostradamus’ birthplace or the archaeological museum in the Hôtel de Sade. Note that the street signs are often in two languages: French and Provençal.
Just outside the maze, tourists and locals alike enjoy coffee or an aperitif at one of the cafes across from the Place de la Republic.
It is here, on Place Pélissier and on the lanes in between where the famous Provençal market takes place on Wednesday mornings. Fruits, vegetables, cheeses, sausages, fishes, seeds, breads, fabrics, olive oils, soaps and of course, herbes de Provence — savory, thyme, bay, basil, sage, rosemary, wild thyme, fennel, marjoram and tarragon — can all be bought here. While the market draws tourists, much of the buying is done by the locals.
While walking around town, watch for small plaques with paintings on them. These mark places that van Gogh painted. Many of them look the same 115 years later.
After arriving from Arles, the artist was voluntarily confined to the convalescent home at the St. Paul-de-Mausole monastery, near Glanum, from May 1889 to May 1890. St. Rémy and its surroundings inspired him to paint self-portraits, nature, people working in the fields and the stunningly beautiful “Starry Night.”
