Café de la Major leclerc d'Arles
Aujourd'hui
Arles, Provence in the south of France
We are taking you to the beautiful city of Arles, in Provence in the south of France. Arles is most famous for its Roman amphitheater, still intact, and its connections with Van Gogh, who spent one of his final years here painting 200 canvases. Its real appeal, however, is found in the lovely pedestrian promenades, the historic landmarks, museums and tranquil plazas, all of which make Arles one of the most charming places in Europe.
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There's a lot of these narrow streets in Arles, there is a small pedestrian zone, there's the various squares and the cafés around it, of course, and historic sites. And we will be showing you those highlights coming up right now as we take a walk through Arles.
The old town of Arles is comfortably small. It's about a square mile. So it's very easy to see the whole thing on foot. You might consider spending a couple of days here.
Or you could visit as a daytrip for example from Avignon which is just 20 miles away and only takes 20 minutes by train to get here. In this program we will show you how you can do everything in one day but certainly if you want to spend more time you decide for yourself. To help you plan your visit we will also present more detailed suggestions about how you could spend a night or two here and still find lots to do.
This is part of a series we’re presenting showing how Avignon makes a very good home base for visiting out to other destinations like Pont du Gard, and St Remy and Nimes along with Aix and Marseille, and especially Arles, the wonderful city of van Gogh and the ancient Romans, with narrow pedestrian lanes weaving throughout the center
The main attractions are the arena, the pedestrian zone and a historic museum. We will show you a good walking route on the map. Of course you can walk anywhere you want, it’s small enough, but this route will take you right through the center and then back to the train station, a route just over 2 miles, or about 3 kilometers, you can do in several hours. But you should also see the history museum while you're here, with its fine collection from the ancient Roman days, an easy detour. So let's assume you're coming in from Avignon on a day trip and you want to see everything.
Arles, France
In Arles, the stones have a story to tell. Arles isn’t just an open-air museum. It
is a city that is at once popular and artistic, generous and anti-conformist, rural and
contemporary. Its heritage is a reflection of its life.
A Greek trading post in the wake of Massalia, a Roman city cherished by Julius
Caesar and then Augustus, an influential centre of Christianity from the 3rd century
onwards, the capital of Gaul in the 4th century, a prosperous farming community
until the Renaissance, a major river port until the advent of railway transport in the
middle of the 19th century… Arles and its immense delta – covering an area of 758
km2, making it the largest municipality in France in terms of territory – have enjoyed
every golden age.
As capital of the Camargue, it is and always has been a place of transit, where cultures
meet and mingle. The city could have lost itself in the mix, but instead built an
identity upon it. Families rooted here for generations, Arlesians by chance or by
design, all of its people are attached to their shared land. Arles is a world unto itself,
standing sweetly and proudly apart, a legacy of the Rhone and a historical gem where
the art of living is forever reborn.
An invitation to travel… And to daydream.
Places to see in ( Arles - France )
Places to see in ( Arles - France )
Arles is a city on the Rhône River in the Provence region of southern France. It's famed for inspiring the paintings of Van Gogh, which influenced the contemporary art displayed at the Fondation Vincent Van Gogh. Once a provincial capital of ancient Rome, Arles is also known for many remains from that era, including Arles Amphitheatre (les Arènes d'Arles), now hosting plays, concerts and bullfights.
Roman treasures, shady squares and plenty of Camarguais culture make Arles a seductive stepping stone into the Camargue. And if its colourful sun-baked houses evoke a sense of déjà vu, it’s because you’ve seen them already on a Van Gogh canvas – the artist painted 200-odd works around town, but sadly his famous little ‘yellow house’ on place Lamartine, which he painted in 1888, was destroyed during WWII. Happily, the Fondation Vincent van Gogh brings in at least one work each season for its annual exhibition.
Arles is a town and municipality in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA), department of Bouches-du-Rhône, in the southeast of France. It is mainly known for its association with Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, who produced some of his most famous paintings here. It is also a very pleasant town on the boards of the Rhône river with some well-preserved Roman buildings, including an amphitheatre that is still used for bullfighting. Arles is also the perfect base for exploring the surrounding area, which boasts popular tourist destinations like Avignon, Nîmes and the Camargue.
Arles was founded on a hill on the east bank of the river Rhône, which just south of the city branches into two rivers, the Grand Rhône and Petit Rhône, that together encircle the marshlands and lagoons of the Camargue region, and provide access to the Mediterranean Sea. Because of its strategic position, it was already settled around 800 BC by the Ligurians, later followed by the Gauls, the Phoenicians and eventually Romans, who conquered the south of Gaul in 123 BC. Arles was called Arelate in Roman times and was an important harbour town with the southernmost bridge over the river Rhône, but it was at first overshadowed by the originally Greek port of Massalia (Marseille).
The old town centre is very pretty, with winding streets full of old houses built in grey limestone with pastel-coloured shutters. It is worth just exploring the sidestreets, where you can suddenly run into a nice little restaurant or shop. It is also worth taking a stroll on the quays of the river Rhône to enjoy the view. The main tourist drags are the area around the amphitheatre and the Place du Forum, but the tourist trade is relatively modest, although Place du Forum gets very noisy in the evening. The main streets surrounding the old town are very busy with traffic during the day, especially the Boulevard des Lices, since the major bridge over the Rhône can only be reached from there. The old neighbourhoods of La Roquette (west of town centre) and Trinquetaille (on the other bank of the river) are left largely unexplored by tourists.
Alot to see in ( Arles - France ) such as :
Les Arènes d'Arles (Roman amphitheatre)
Théâtre Antique
Thermes de Constantin (Baths of Constantine)
Cryptoportiques
Les Alyscamps
Primatiale Saint-Trophime
Musée Départemental Arles Antique
Musée Réattu
Pont Van Gogh
Langlois
Fondation Van Gogh
Café La Nuit
Place du Forum
Les Rues en Musique
Rencontres d'Arles
( Arles - France ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Arles . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Arles - France
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Côte d'Azur, France part 3/3 (Arles, Avignon, Cannes), Milan, Italy
Sights of Arles, Avignon, Cannes in Côte d'Azur, France and Milan, Italy, during a trip in April - May 2019.
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France.The Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles, including an amphitheatre, triumphal arch, Roman circus, theatre, and a full circuit of walls, were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1981.
The Church of St. Trophime (Saint Trophimus), formerly a cathedral, is a major work of Romanesque architecture, and the representation of the Last Judgment on its portal is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture.
The Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles from 1888 to 1889. He was fascinated by the Provençal landscapes, producing over 300 paintings and drawings during his time in Arles. Many of his most famous paintings were completed there, including 'The Night Cafe', the 'Yellow Room', 'Starry Night Over the Rhone', and 'L'Arlésienne'. Paul Gauguin visited van Gogh in Arles. However, van Gogh's mental health deteriorated and he became alarmingly eccentric, culminating in the well-known ear-severing incident in December 1888 which resulted in two stays in the Old Hospital of Arles.
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Places to see in ( Arles - France ) Espace Van Gogh
Places to see in ( Arles - France ) Espace Van Gogh
The Espace van Gogh was originally built in the sixteenth century as Arles main hospital and it remained as such well into the twentieth. It's major claim to fame is that it was here that Van Gogh was committed after the infamous episode of cutting off his left earlobe in December 1888. The courtyard has been extensively planted out to resemble as closely as possible his famous painting Le Jardin de l'Hôtel de Dieu. The complex now houses the town library as well as exhibition spaces, a series of souvenir shops and a cafe.
Vincent Van Gogh was strongly inspired by Arles where he made more than 300 drawings and paintings between February 1881 and May 1889. Van Gogh space is installed in the hotel God built in the sixteenth century and seventeenth century. The quadrilateral opened on an interior garden worked as a hospital, Van Gogh stays there and represents it in several of his paintings, until the 1980s. The Van Gogh space is a cultural center that proposes temporary exhibitions and animations around Van Gogh and the art world. The building also hosts the media library of the city. Come and discover the former Hotel Dieu and the gardens in free access and visit an exhibition at the cultural center.
Installed in the former Hôtel-Dieu, Van Gogh's Espace and the media library are a peaceful and charming place, a cloister-garden, where flowerbeds are arranged in a star around a pool. And why this name Van Gogh? Well, because it is here, at the former Hotel Dieu d'Arles, that Vincent Van Gogh was treated in 1889. He painted the cloister and the flower beds on a painting today kept in Switzerland , in Winterthur. That said, a reproduction is placed flush with the flowers, in the gallery of the cloister on the left when entering. And you can see how the cloister was restored inspired by the painting of Van Gogh.
( Arles - France ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Arles . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Arles - France
Join us for more :
Historic sites in Arles, France
In Arles, the stones have a story to tell. Arles isn’t just an open-air museum. It is a city that is at once popular and artistic, generous and anti-conformist, rural and contemporary. Its heritage is a reflection of its life.
A Greek trading post in the wake of Massalia, a Roman city cherished by Julius Caesar and then Augustus, an influential centre of Christianity from the 3rd century onwards, the capital of Gaul in the 4th century, a prosperous farming community until the Renaissance, a major river port until the advent of railway transport in the middle of the 19th century… Arles and its immense delta – covering an area of 758km2, making it the largest municipality in France in terms of territory – have enjoyed every golden age.
As capital of the Camargue, it is and always has been a place of transit, where cultures meet and mingle. The city could have lost itself in the mix, but instead built an identity upon it. Families rooted here for generations, Arlesians by chance or by design, all of its people are attached to their shared land. Arles is a world unto itself, standing sweetly and proudly apart, a legacy of the Rhone and a historical gem where the art of living is forever reborn.
An invitation to travel… And to daydream.
Avignon - France-day 1C
Exploring on foot the Old Town of Avignon, main city of Provence in the south of France.
Enter the Porte du Rhône gate through the town wall then turn right at Rue Grande Fusterie, with some of its picturesque old houses from the 15th century.
At the end, turn right, then left to Place Crillon, site of an excellent hotel you might consider for your visit, Hotel d'Europe. This is four-star deluxe but has some moderately-priced rooms, especially in the off-season.
With many fine hotels in all price ranges, and strategic location, Avignon makes an excellent home base for visiting this Provençal region. Another hotel you might consider is the Mercure. It's right in the heart of town just between the bridge in the main square and it's a very comfortable three star hotel - part of the vast Accor chain of French hotels, and we found it was a very nice place. Very clean, very modern very friendly.
Stroll one block over to Rue Joseph Vernet, perhaps the prettiest street in town, lined with lovely shops, galleries and restaurants. This street is really at its best late in the day and early twilight - when you have that magical combination of streetlights, shop fronts, busy people out walking and lingering twilight in the sky. It's good . The shops stay open throughout the day, although some close in the midafternoon for a brief siesta - we're still in the south of Europe, after all. And at night stays quite lively. It's very safe spot - 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock at night, because the shop will be closed, usually by about 8 o'clock, but the restaurants, cafés and bars are open, so to be sure to pay several visits to this wonderful Rue Joseph Vernet.
Be sure to walk a few blocks up and down Rue St. Agricol, a classic side-street which offers a similar environment of pleasant shops and leads to the main square of town, Place de l'Horloge. Notice how they have iron posts to protect the pedestrians from the automobiles, because this busy street is open to traffic, and yet remains very safe because of the design. There is a rich variety of types of shops here and throught the town center.
Next, walk over to the busy main street of town, Rue de la République, where you will find the Tourist Information Office, and really the main collection of shops and people. Be sure to visit this information office and get their free Welcome to Avignon brochure with descriptions of the major sites and an extremely useful map that provides four walking routes to follow while you are exploring the city. The tourist bureau has put colored arrows on the sidewalks coordinated with the map to help keep you on track.
Nimes, France
The city of Nimes makes a very attractive place to visit with its quiet pedestrian lanes running through the center, and especially because of the three major Roman historic sites. There is an ancient temple, there is a large amphitheater, nearby is the famous aqueduct, Pont du Gard. Nimes is located in the south of France. Quite nearby are the cities of Arles and Avignon and just further east, you've got Aix and Marseille.
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We are arriving in Nîmes this morning by train from Avignon and will be taking you on a walking tour of the city.
Upon arrival in Nimes train station and walk a few blocks along the main busy street, Avenue Feucheres, to a shady park, and just beyond to the star attraction of town and the world’s best-preserved ancient Roman amphitheater, the most important structure in town. It forms an ellipse, 145 yards long and 115 yards wide, and it’s 70 feet high. Although it's smaller than the amphitheater in Rome, the great Coliseum or even the amphitheater in Arles, it's actually in better preservation than any of them. The arena is built of limestone blocks that are as large as 10 feet wide, perfectly adjusted without any mortar to hold it together, in that ancient Roman style. The exterior presents two stories each of sixty arches.
This two thousand-year-old city has developed in a typically European-style with narrow lanes for pedestrians meandering in a casual grid that makes a delightful place to walk. It's an extensive zone of shops and cafés extending north of the arena, with the main lane of Rue de l’Aspic running ten blocks through its center.
While the historic sites are attractive you'll also find the shopping zone very enjoyable, just meandering and people-watching.
Commerces en difficulté à Arles
Intervenants : Florence Bourgeois (Commerçante), Stéphane Paglia (président CCI Pays d'Arles), Fabien Lillamand (gérant magasin)
Un reportage de : Mélior Mouamma et Romain Perich
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Arles Parc des Ateliers
Exposition des œuvres architecturales de Jean Prouvé, au Parc des Ateliers à Arles, dans le projet de Luma 2017.
Places to see in ( Uzes - France )
Places to see in ( Uzes - France )
Uzès is a town situated to the west of Avignon and north of Nimes in the Gard department of Languedoc-Roussillon. The centre of this active town is now a protected historical monument, with a good mix of medieval stone houses and fine townhouses constructed later to discover. before visiting Uzès we had been led to believe it was quite a normal, quiet provincial town. In fact it is very attractive with its large arcaded central square, numerous historic monuments, historic streets and alleys, broad tree-lined boulevards and lovely views across the countryside - one of our favourite towns in southern France and a visit is highly recommended.
It is easy to find your bearings in Uzès because the town is surrounded by a broad boulevard that completely surrounds the historic centre. We suggest you start at the north in Place Albert because the Tourist Office is here and you can ask for a map of the town that includes all the places of interest and a suggested route to follow as you explore - although the pretty historic streets will tempt you away from the suggested route quite often
The narrow streets of the old town are most noteworthy for the fine 17th century houses, many with ornate iron balustrades, dating from when it was a wealthy textile centre, and for the narrow streets of medieval houses. On your way into the centre you can also see two particularly important townhouses: the 16th century Hôtel Dampmartin (on Place Dampmartin), which includes a tower with a staircase; and the Hôtel de Joubert (on Rue de la Republique) with its beautiful renaissance style doorway and windows.
The centre of Uzès is around Place aux Herbes, a pretty square surrounded by attractive stone houses and arcades and with a large stone fountain: the stonework of the arcades with its imposing arches is very impressive. The Place aux Herbes is also the centre for the markets held in the town on Wednesday morning and Saturday all day, and has several cafes so it is a good place to take your morning coffee
The major monument here in the centre of Uzes is the Duke's Castle, dating from the early medieval period. From the outside the castle walls are dominated by its three towers and donjon, while the interior has been furnished with period furniture and there is a lovely view across the town from the top of the donjon. Entrance charge 17 euros.
Two medieval towers in the town can be seen in the Medieval Garden: the 12th century Tour de l'Evèque and the 13th century Tour du Roi. In fact the medieval garden was one of the highlights of our visit to Uzès: the garden itself was quite interesting but it also gives you access to climb the Tour de Roi for amazing views across the town and surrounding countryside. Access to the garden is a little hidden away on the Rue Port Royal in the south of the historic centre.
One particular highlight in Uzes is the 'window tower' (la tour fenestrelle) to the east of the centre. This is an Italian style round stone tower with several pairs of arched windows running up its height that stands 42 metres high and is next to the cathedral. The Cathedral of Saint Theodorit itself was rebuilt in the 17th century, and the facade added in the 19th century.
Although we can't list all the interesting buildings in the town we should mention those along the road that leads back into the town from the cathedral, along the Rue Rafin. There are several imposing townhouses here from the renaissance period onwards, with the Hôtel des Monnaies and the Hôtel Chambon de la Tour the highlights. For shopping and a wide choice of restaurants you can follow the broad boulevards - principally the Rue Gambetta - that now surround the medieval centre. If time permits you can follow your walk through the town with a walk through the large park just below the cathedral. As well as the peaceful setting you will also see the Roman aqueduct in the park.
( Uzes - France ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Uzes . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Uzes - France
Join us for more :
The Big team at Work 02 - The CLUB Arles 2013
The CLUB :
exhibitions ̈ publishers ̈ conferences
JULY 1-7 013
OUVERTURE : 1ER JUILLET 17H / VERNISSAGE : 5 JUILLET 18H / OUVERT TOUS LES JOURS 12H-20H
Pour la cinquième année consécutive la galerie 2600 organise à Arles, dans un même espace, une rencontre entre des acteurs majeurs du monde de l'édition photographique et une sélection d'artistes et photographes actuels.
En 2013, l'évènement se nomme Le CLUB et se déroule à la bourse du travail, lieu central de la ville d'Arles et siège de la CGT. Grace à l'aide précieuse de pascal Bois et de son association Regards et mémoires, Le CLUB permet de prolonger l'aventure des précédents SUPERMARKT (2009) et HYPERMARKT (2010-2012).
Le CLUB vous propose de découvrir ou de retrouver des éditeurs et libraires tels que :
Le BAL books (Paris), AMC books (Londres), Pierre Von Kleist (Lisbonne), MACK (Londres), FOAM (Amsterdam), AMAN IMAN (Paris), Cafe LEHMITZ (Cologne), ELSE (Lausanne), Gwinzegal (Guingamp), RVB (Paris), Poursuite (Paris), White Press (Cologne), FP & CF (Paris), Lutanie (Paris), Galerie 2600 (Arles)
le CLUB est aussi l'occasion de voir les travaux d'artistes tels que : Oliver Sieber (Allemagne), Doug Rickard (USA), Estelle Hanania (France), ainsi que des images d'archive de la conquête de l'espace issues de l'Archive Of Modern Conflict (Londres).
Informations et programmes des conférences : galerie2600.org/
Partenaires:
CGT Arles, Association Regards et mémoires, Atelier SHL, le BAL
For the fifth consecutive year the gallery 2600 organize in Arles, in a same space, a meeting between major actors from the world of photo publishing and a selection of actuals artists and photographers.
In 2013, the event is called the CLUB and take place in a central place of Arles called La bourse du travail.
Thanks to the precious help of Pascal Bois and his association Regards et mémoires, The Club continue the story of the SUPERMARKT (2009) and the HYPERMARKT (2010-2012).
publishers and booksellers :
Le BAL books (Paris), AMC books (London), Pierre Von Kleist (Lisboa), MACK (London), FOAM (Amsterdam), AMAN IMAN (Paris), Cafe LEHMITZ (Köln), ELSE (Lausanne), Gwinzegal (Guimgamp), RVB (Paris), Poursuite (Paris), White Press (Köln), FP & CF (Paris), Lutanie (Paris), Galerie 2600 (Arles)
Artists :
Archive Of Modern Conflict (London), Oliver Sieber (Germany), Doug Rickard (USA), Estelle Hanania (France).
Aix en Provence France
You're going to find that the city of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France is one of the most delightful places you could ever visit as you’re about to discover out in this detailed movie.
We bring you on a detgailed walking tour of the large pedestrian zone with its charming historic buildings, many shops, cafés, restaurants and the very famous outdoor markets selling fresh produce, clothing, antiques and all kinds of stuff with lots of local characters to observe and interact with. This small city is the perfect size, big enough to keep you busy for several days and yet not too large that you're going to feel lost or frustrated that you can't see everything.
Aix is located in the heart of Provence, a region that has so many wonderful destinations from Avignon to Nice. And you will see that AIX is one place that you must not miss.
You could easily spend a few days here and travel out to visit other nearby destinations, or if you only have one day, it is certainly possible to see most of AIX as we’re going to show you in the movie.
Traditional Music in Espace van Gogh in Arles, Provence
The Espace van Gogh was originally built in the sixteenth century as Arles main hospital and it remained as such well into the twentieth. It's major claim to fame is that it was here that Van Gogh was committed after the infamous episode of cutting off his left earlobe in December 1888.
The courtyard has been extensively planted out to resemble as closely as possible his famous painting Le Jardin de l'Hôtel de Dieu. The complex now houses the town library as well as exhibition spaces, a series of souvenir shops and a cafe.
Did you know the French can say ça va (how are you) six times in a row?
Here's a weird language quirk from the French. It's totally possible that a conversation could have six Ça va's (or, 'how are you's') in a row. Here's how.
The Big team at Work 03 - The CLUB Arles 2013
The CLUB :
exhibitions ̈ publishers ̈ conferences
JULY 1-7 013
OUVERTURE : 1ER JUILLET 17H / VERNISSAGE : 5 JUILLET 18H / OUVERT TOUS LES JOURS 12H-20H
Pour la cinquième année consécutive la galerie 2600 organise à Arles, dans un même espace, une rencontre entre des acteurs majeurs du monde de l'édition photographique et une sélection d'artistes et photographes actuels.
En 2013, l'évènement se nomme Le CLUB et se déroule à la bourse du travail, lieu central de la ville d'Arles et siège de la CGT. Grace à l'aide précieuse de pascal Bois et de son association Regards et mémoires, Le CLUB permet de prolonger l'aventure des précédents SUPERMARKT (2009) et HYPERMARKT (2010-2012).
Le CLUB vous propose de découvrir ou de retrouver des éditeurs et libraires tels que :
Le BAL books (Paris), AMC books (Londres), Pierre Von Kleist (Lisbonne), MACK (Londres), FOAM (Amsterdam), AMAN IMAN (Paris), Cafe LEHMITZ (Cologne), ELSE (Lausanne), Gwinzegal (Guingamp), RVB (Paris), Poursuite (Paris), White Press (Cologne), FP & CF (Paris), Lutanie (Paris), Galerie 2600 (Arles)
le CLUB est aussi l'occasion de voir les travaux d'artistes tels que : Oliver Sieber (Allemagne), Doug Rickard (USA), Estelle Hanania (France), ainsi que des images d'archive de la conquête de l'espace issues de l'Archive Of Modern Conflict (Londres).
Informations et programmes des conférences : galerie2600.org/
Partenaires:
CGT Arles, Association Regards et mémoires, Atelier SHL, le BAL
For the fifth consecutive year the gallery 2600 organize in Arles, in a same space, a meeting between major actors from the world of photo publishing and a selection of actuals artists and photographers.
In 2013, the event is called the CLUB and take place in a central place of Arles called La bourse du travail.
Thanks to the precious help of Pascal Bois and his association Regards et mémoires, The Club continue the story of the SUPERMARKT (2009) and the HYPERMARKT (2010-2012).
publishers and booksellers :
Le BAL books (Paris), AMC books (London), Pierre Von Kleist (Lisboa), MACK (London), FOAM (Amsterdam), AMAN IMAN (Paris), Cafe LEHMITZ (Köln), ELSE (Lausanne), Gwinzegal (Guimgamp), RVB (Paris), Poursuite (Paris), White Press (Köln), FP & CF (Paris), Lutanie (Paris), Galerie 2600 (Arles)
Artists :
Archive Of Modern Conflict (London), Oliver Sieber (Germany), Doug Rickard (USA), Estelle Hanania (France).
Siena walking tour in historic center
The historic center of Siena is an ideal place to take a walk. See more Siena movies in our playlist: Siena is a very livable city. It's built to a human scale covering about a square kilometer which makes it small enough that you can easily walk from one end of town to the other in a single day and see almost all of the sites in between. There's an endless variety of interesting things to see along your way. A small city, but crisscrossed by dozens of little lanes that provide many miles of picturesque strolling opportunities for the ambitious trekker. It's fun to just wander around and get a little bit lost, up and down the back alleys and then find your way back to the main lane and the major landmarks. Siena is divided in three districts corresponding to the three ridges it sits on, North, West and East, with the Campo in the middle, the main piazza. At the north end of the main shopping lane, via Banchi di Sopra, there is a pretty little square, Piazza Salimbeni, with Europe's oldest bank founded in 1472. Facing that is Siena's five-star grand Hotel Continental. It's been here over 100 years, a former palace – nice spot for a break. The next square is Piazza Tolomei, whose palazzo is the oldest private residence in town dating from the early 13th century. The piazza's a popular place for locals to hang out and watch the passing parade. This main shopping street is worth walking from one end to the other, perhaps stopping for a bite at one of the attractive little restaurants along the way. And narrow side alleys will attract you with their charms. This street was once part of Europe's most important medieval route, like an agent superhighway called via Francigena, which united northern Europe with Rome, always busy with pilgrims heading for the sacred city. Via Banchi di Sopra soon ends at the beautiful Loggia Mercanzia. Built in the early 1400s the loggia had been commercial Court of Justice and a money exchange house. This is the central intersection, the heart of downtown were Siena's three main pedestrian streets come together: via Banchi di Sopra comes in from the north, then branches off to the east becoming via Banchi di Sotto, and to the west as via di Citta. The latter two, Citta and Sotto are really one street the changes name, then change again at the fringes of town. They run along tops of the three low hills that divide Siena into its three sections. At this poi nt all three districts are joined. These three streets of the widest and busiest of the pedestrian lanes in the historic center and have many buildings from the 13th through the 15th century – palaces, churches and old civic structures. Of course you will find varying kinds of find shops and restaurants throughout their lengths, which total less than one mile altogether. This is the neighborhood for easy strolling and watching the locals in action, although it does get quite full of tourists during the busy summer season. Escape the crowds by ducking into the side alleys as we will be showing you here. You'll find that when you get off the beaten track these little lanes are a lot more residential, you're not going to see a lot of shops or restaurants but you will notice the beautiful architecture, the old brick, the arches across the alley ways. Simple sites like local out walking her dog can be pretty entertaining when you just stop and take a look and wait for something to happen. Walking on the steep hills can be a challenge for anybody, especially if you have a dog who's pulling you in the opposite direction. If you're walking down you're going to be having to turn around eventually and walk back up a hill, after all this is one of the Tuscan hill towns.
Why Starry Night Wasn't The First Starry Night — Vincent Van Gogh
Starry Night Over The Rhone, by Vincent Van Gogh. 1888. Oil on canvas. 72.5 cm × 92 cm (28.5 in × 36.2 in)
THIS PAINTING IS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE as a handmade oil painting reproduction here:
It was Van Gogh’s good friend, Paul Gauguin who convinced the artist to work more abstractly. The result was “Starry Night,” one of the painter’s most famous works. However, months earlier Van Gogh created another, more realistic nocturne, “Starry Night Over The Rhone.” And though not as well-known as its brazen sibling I think you’ll agree it stands up on its own merits.
The painting depicts a star-filled sky over the town of Arles, an enchanting array of incandescent bodies decorating the heavens. Predominant is the Big Dipper, part of the constellation Ursa Major. The arrangement is charming and whimsical.
Yet, the brilliance of the sky pales in comparison with the hot gas lights of the town below, a modern amenity at the time. Van Gogh saw an adversarial relationship between the starlight and artificial gaslight.
In a letter to his friend, Eugene Bock, he describes the sky as a “sparkling of pink and green on the cobalt blue field of the night sky, whereas the lights of the town and its ruthless reflections are red gold and bronzed green.”
In the foreground, a loving couple walks along the banks of the Rhone.
The painting was originally conceived as a celebration of the two lovers. In an early sketch, Van Gogh featured the couple prominently in the foreground. In the finished painting, they are minuscule.
In spite of Van Gogh’s opinion, the town lights are more festive than ominous. With their flaming reflections, they appear like sky-rockets soaring to meet the gaiety of the starry night.
We know Van Gogh preferred working from life and this painting was done on the spot, at night with just the aid of (ironically) a gas jet. This might explain the short, tentative brush strokes; under poor lighting conditions, Van Gogh was painting more cautiously.
If nothing else, Starry Night Over The Rhone, proves you don’t necessarily have to agree with the artist to appreciate their work.
THIS PAINTING IS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE as a handmade oil painting reproduction here:
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