The Artist and the French Church
Topic: Tour CalendarNovember 3 to 16, 2007
Christians in Visual Arts
Day 1 ~ Saturday, November 3 - Departure
Today's the day—we're setting off on another CIVA journey through the artistic and architectural heritage of France! An early evening departure from Washington-Dulles International Airport and we're on our way!Day 2 ~ Sunday, November 4 - Nice
Good morning! We have just touched down at busy, modern Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. Based on the flight schedule in effect at the time this brochure was printed, we'll be on the ground here for about four-and-a-half hours. Then we'll continue on to the French Riviera. Owing to its mild climate and its Mediterranean landscape, the Cote d'Azur is a popular year-around tourist destination. Many of the world's foremost artists came to live and work in this area—which is, of course, why we are here. Our headquarters for the first four nights of our tour will be Nice. Upon arrival, we'll meet our local guide who will accompany us on our sightseeing in and around Nice and who will travel with us from Nice to Avignon. Then we'll transfer to our hotel. After check-in, if you're eager to get started, you might want to visit the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art or the Museum of Naïve Art. We can also recommend a walk along the Promenade des Anglais for views of the Baie des Anges and a stroll in Old Nice, the lively, totally Mediterranean core of the city, which lies between the Paillon, the castle, and the sea. Dinner will be served at the hotel this evening.Day 3 ~ Monday, November 5 - Cimiez, Nice
Now that we've had a good night's rest, we're ready to start exploring in earnest! After breakfast, we'll head for Cimiez, one of the most sophisticated areas of Nice. Although we won't actually have time to explore the ruins, we will see some of the remains from Gallo-Roman Nice. Just at the edge of the Gallo-Roman excavations is the Musée Matisse. Included here are works from all periods of Henri Matisse's career, from his first painting in 1890 to the paper collages of 1952. The museum also boasts masterpieces from the artist's neo-impressionist and Fauve periods, as well as an ensemble of his best-known works. Our next stop is at the nearby Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall—the Chagall Museum. The result of Chagall's donation to France, this museum, built in 1972, houses a permanent collection of the painter's works. The museum was realized especially for the 17 canvasses that make up Chagall's "Biblical Message." The balance of the afternoon is at leisure to get better acquainted with Nice and all that it has to offer.Day 4 ~ Tuesday, November 6 - St. Paul, Vence, Nice
Today we'll begin with a short drive along the Riviera and then inland to the lovely hill town of St. Paul de Vence. Our first destination is the Maeght Foundation. This modern art museum houses work by Braque, Miró, Kandinsky, Chagall, Giacometti, Bonnard, Léger, Matisse and several contemporary artists. We will be able to explore independently until 12:30 p.m. when the Foundation closes for the morning. After some time to get a bite to eat and browse in some of St. Paul's appealing galleries and shops, we'll travel the short distance to the delightful old market town of Vence. The purpose of our visit is to see the Chapelle du Rosaire, wholly conceived and decorated by Matisse. The theme of this artist and the daring of his design, which revived in present times the genius of the medieval masters, brings visitors from far and wide. Then we'll return "home" to Nice. We'll be on our own for dinner this evening.Day 5 ~ Wednesday, November 7 - Vallauris, Fréjus, Les Arcs, Nice
Another wonderful—and busy—day starts off with a drive to the important French ceramics center of Vallauris. Timing our arrival for about 10:00 a.m., we'll have a couple of hours to visit the two museums housed in Vallauris' chateau—the Musée Magnelli-Musée de la Céramique and the Musée national "La Guerre et la Paix." The collections at the Magnelli include pieces that have won awards at Vallauris' famed biennial International Festival of Ceramic Art, playful Picasso ceramics and paintings by Alberto Magnelli while the other museum is decorated by Picasso's monumental War and Peace. Then, we'll be off to Fréjus, an interesting and very old city that began as a trading center in Roman times. After a break for lunch, we will visit the tiny Chapelle Notre-Dame de Jerusalem, the last building designed by Jean Cocteau. The last item on our agenda for today is the Chapelle Ste-Rosaline near Les Arcs. Part of an 11th-century abbey, the chapel is a popular place of pilgrimage. Back home in Nice, we'll get together at the hotel for dinner.Day 6 ~ Thursday, November 8 - Biot, Aix-en-Provence, Arles
The day's travels begin with a short drive to Biot, a picturesque village known for its glass and pottery. Our first stop will be the Verrerie de Biot. Opened in 1956, this glassworks produces a variety of articles that are in great demand. After an opportunity to watch the glassblowing, we'll continue to the Fernand-Léger Museum, which opens at 10:00 a.m. We want to get here right when it opens since we have some distance to cover today. This museum houses an important collection of drawings, ceramics, tapestries, and paintings, tracing the artist's development from 1904 to 1955. Then, we'll point our compass in a westerly direction and head for Provence.We'll take our lunch break in the old capital, Aix-en-Provence, which has kept some of the character it acquired in the 17th and 18th centuries—mansions of sober elegance, quiet and graceful squares, majestic avenues, and delightful fountains. Then we will visit the Atelier Paul Cézanne on the outskirts of the city. This was the home and studio of the multitalented and influential artist until his death in 1906. Our ultimate destination for today is Arles, an important center of Provençal life, proud of its traditions and famed for both its Roman and its earlier medieval heritage. Arles is also known for its associations with Vincent Van Gogh. Arrival at our hotel is anticipated in the early evening and will be followed by check-in and a late dinner.
Day 7 ~ Friday, November 9 - Nîmes, Pont du Gard, Avignon
We'll start off with a short drive to Nîmes, another Provençal city known for its Roman remains, the quality of which is unsurpassed. We'll visit the Maison Carrée, the purest and best preserved of all Roman temples. Next it's on to Pont du Gard. One of the wonders of antiquity, this superb aqueduct was built 19 centuries before the birth of Christ. It formed part of the water supply system with a total length of 30 miles. Then continue to Avignon. Protected by its ramparts, the historic Old City is a lively center of art and culture. It was the residence of the French popes during the schism in the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. We'll tour the huge, fortress-like Palace of the Popes. After we get settled at our hotel, we'll be on our own for dinner.Day 8 ~ Saturday, November 10 - lyon / la tourette
After breakfast, we'll transfer to the train station where we'll say au revoir to our guide and motorcoach driver who will be returning to Nice. Then we'll enjoy a short trip on the high-speed TGV train. In just over an hour, we'll be in Lyon. Our driver/guide, who will be with us for the balance of our tour, we'll meet us on arrival. Our plans call for a visit to the Musée des Beaux Arts with the country's largest and most important collection of art after the Louvre. Then we'll continue to the Convent of La Tourette, which is just a bit to the northwest of the city. We'd like not only to visit the Convent but also to call it home for the night. If we're not able to arrange for dinner and accommodations here, we'll spend the night at a hotel in or near Lyon.Day 9 ~ Sunday, November 11 - Plateau D'Assy, Geneva
This morning, we will travel via Annecy to visit the All Grace Chapel at Plateau d'Assy. Built in 1945, this chapel was decorated by Léger, Lurcat, Rouault, Matisse, and Chagall. After our visit, we will travel into Switzerland and on to Geneva. Geneva claims much attention as the second seat of the United Nations and as the headquarters for many international bodies such as the World Committee of the Red Cross and the International Labor Organization. Geneva also remains the town of Calvin and a stronghold of the Reformation, and is often referred to as the "Rome of the Protestants." After hotel check-in, we'll head for the Old Town to see Reformation Monument and St. Peter's Cathedral. Our driver/guide will suggest restaurants for dinner and he'll be happy to make arrangements for those who would like to dine in a group.Day 10 ~ Monday, November 12 - Autun, Vézelay, Beaune
We'll return to France today and drive north and west to Autun. A visit is planned to the city's finest building, the 12th-century Cathedral of St. Lazarus. The glory of the cathedral is its Burgundian sculpture, most of it the achievement of Master Gis-Lebertus, who came from Vézelay and worked here for 20 years. See especially the Last Judgement tympanum over the central doorway. Then we'll continue to Vézelay, a picturesque village built along the ridge of a rocky spur. Its reputation is due in great measure to its wonderful basilica. The Celts were the first to settle this hilltop site. In 878, an abbey was founded here; and in 1050, it was dedicated to Mary Magdalene. The place soon became one of France's great pilgrimage destinations and a sanctuary was built. The present Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene was built between 1096 and 1104 and restored following a fire in 1120. Among many treasures, it possesses a marvelous tympanum over the central doorway and many capitals adorning pillars. Our ultimate destination for today is Beaune, which lies in the center of the Cote d'Or wine-producing area. We will see the town's chief attraction, the Hotel-Dieu, built in the 15th century as a hospital. Its museum contains a polyptych of the Last Judgement by Roger van der Weyden and a number of tapestries. After this visit, we'll check in at our hotel for dinner and overnight.Day 11 ~ Tuesday, November 13 - Audincourt, Ronchamp, Colmar
Our morning drive will take us east via Montebéliard—where Peugots are made—to Audincourt. This small city on the River Doubs is the site of an interesting modern church designed by Novarina in 1951. Inside the Sacré-Coeur, we'll see stained-glass windows designed by Léger and Bazaine mosaics. Our next stop is in Ronchamp, which has gained world recognition for the Chapel of Notre-Dame-Du-Haut by le Corbusier (1955). Then it's on to Colmar, the capital of the Upper Alsace. Time permitting, we'll visit the Old Town to see some of its fine 16th- and 17th-century burghers' houses. Then we'll get settled at our hotel for dinner and overnight.Day 12 ~ Wednesday, November 14 - Colmar, Reims, Paris
When it opens at 9:00 a.m. this morning, we'll present ourselves at the former Dominican Convent of Unterlinden. This beautifully- preserved early Gothic cloister now houses the Unterlinden Museum. Here we will find Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altar, one of the greatest and most moving masterpieces of western religious painting. After our visit, we'll pursue a routing to the north and west. With a stop en route for lunch, we expect to arrive in Reims in the middle of the afternoon. Our objective here is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. Reflecting the work of four architects—Jean d'Orbay, Jean Le Loup, Gaucher de Reims and Bernard de Soissons, this church is one of the greatest of Gothic achievements. The west end of the nave, with its stunning rose windows, is especially noteworthy. The last drive of the day will take us to la ville lumiere... It's Paris, of course! Arrival at our hotel is anticipated in the early evening and will be followed by check-in and dinner.Day 13 ~ Thursday, November 15 - Paris
The entire day is yours to immerse yourself in what you love best about the magnificent French capital—or to find corners of the city you're not as familiar with. Whether you choose sightseeing or shopping, you're sure to have a wonderful day! This evening, we'll top off our tour with a lovely farewell dinner at one of Paris' fine restaurants.Day 14 ~ Friday, November 16 - Return
All too soon, it's time to head for home! After breakfast, we'll transfer to Charles de Gaulle Airport to check in with Northwest for the "hop" to Amsterdam where we'll connect with our transatlantic flight back to Washington-Dulles. We hope your CIVA adventure has been hugely rewarding—and lots of fun!| CONTACT US: for more information regarding this tour or to have the brochure mailed to you |
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