When we think of the Cote d’Azur, the words that immediately form in our mind are ‘beauty’, ‘glamour’, ‘wealth’, ‘exquisiteness’ and ‘quality’, with the word ‘gypsies’ rarely making the list altogether.

Although you would be mistaken if you were to think that gypsies had no connection to this sublimely striking stretch of coastline. The town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, meaning “Saint Marys of the Sea”, is the capital of the Camargue and boasts a vibrant history of being a town honoured by a succession of cultures, including Romans, Celts, Christians and, most recently, Roman Gypsies.

After the arrival of gypsies in Europe in the early 1400s, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, became a popular place for gypsies to reside, although the reasons for this remain hazy and ambiguous. The town’s remoteness is one valid reason why this small fishing village on the Cote d’Azur became a prevalent destination for gypsies, meaning they could remain predominantly hidden from the bustle encountered on other places on this stretch of Mediterranean coastline.

According to local legend in the village, shortly after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, was the place of residence for Mary Magdalene, Marie-Jacobe, Marie-Salome  and several of the other disciples, who were forced to free the Holy Land in 45AD.

After a treacherous journey across the Mediterranean, the women landed their boat in the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, where they became honoured by the local people. In light of this veneration, the church in the town, enshrines three wooden statues, one being Marie-Salome, one being Marie-Jacobe and the other being of Sara-la-Kali, whose identity remains a mystery.
The mysterious female statue remains the hub of worship of gypsies, who gather here each May, to embark on the ‘Pelerinage des Gitans’ meaning ‘Pilgrimage of the Gypsies’. Many of the gypsies believe that Sara was an important queen of the village who welcomed tired travellers to the shores of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

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Whilst there has been masses of literature written about the artistic influences the likes of Monaco, Nice and St Tropez have had, relatively little has been written about the hillside village of Biot, which for centuries has been one of the most pioneering places for the making and manufacturing of pottery and glassware.

Situated four kilometres inland between the cities of Antibes and Nice on the Cote d’Azur, this beautiful medieval village is dominated by one theme – its unique artisan creations. Lining the quirky cobbled streets are row upon row of extraordinarily crafted clay jugs, glassware and other ornately decorated hand-crafted objects.

With its surrounding terrain being rich in manganese, clay and fine sand, for centuries the village of Biot has been producing pottery that has been envied and copied around the world. In the eighteenth century the local artisans of Biot stretched their artistic skills even further and traded their magnificent pottery creations for making objects out of glass.

It was around this time that the talented Biot artists began to sell their exceptional glassware, primarily recognised for its renowned ‘bubbles’ inside of the glass, and began exporting their products from the nearby port of Antibes.

Biot’s exceptional influence on the worldwide art, pottery and glassware stage can be seen not only by the endless amount of pretty, colourful and decorative objects that line its streets, but in three distinctive museums this artistically-inspiring ancient town is home to.

Art and craft enthusiasts can enjoy watching the local glass blowers at work in La Verrerie de Biot. La Verrerie de Biot was given the “Enterprise du Patrimoine Vivant” label, intended to highlight the value Biot’s glassmaking has had on the French economy, the cultural identity of the Cote d’Azur and to promote the artistic renown of the area both nationally and internationally.

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With more than 150 art galleries dotted about this vast, varied and artistically-inspiring region of France, it is of little surprise that the French Riviera has become known as a modern art lovers’ paradise.

With such a large number of art galleries available on this stretch of coastline, art in almost every medium, is crying out to be explored. The artistic merits of street art has, however, always sparked debate, as ‘graffiti’, as some like to refer to it, examines the creative tensions and conflicts within this artistic arena.

When the Greek artist Taki first ‘let rip’ with an aerosol spray can more than 40 years ago, who would have thought that he was starting a movement that would later attract collectors from Moscow, Miami and now even Monaco?

This summer, the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, has been home to 400 examples of contemporary street art, more commonly known as ‘Pressurism’ on the Cote d’Azur, a name that has been derived from the aerosol can that has replaced the artist’s brush.

The ‘Pressurism’ exhibition proved extremely popular, as visitors and locals alike flocked to the Grimaldi Forum to view the works of the Italian architect Alain-Dominque Gallizia, who also curated the exhibition.

This tremendously individual and avant-garde display explored the 40-year history of the street art medium and represented ‘graffiti’ artists from across the globe, including Blade, Toxic, Dibo, Ces, Revolt and, of course, Taki.

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The French Riviera has a spell and charm other areas rarely possess. Its unique magnetism is partly due to the more than 150 art galleries and almost 100 museums in the area, making the French Riviera able to offer the broadest range of artistic institutions in France outside the Parisian region.

This spellbinding expanse has been the home and working environment to some of the world’s greatest artists over the decades and consequently the French Riviera is a cultural and artistic haven of monuments, treasures, museums and exhibitions.

We explore the top five ‘must see’ cultural delights on the French Riviera.

Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild

Overlooking the quayside of Baie des Fourmis and Villefranche, the Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild was built by Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild during the “Belle Epoque”. Its inspiration by the major renaissance residences of Florence and Venice is blatant and create a magnificent site to experience the great cultural atmosphere of the French Riviera. The site features seven stunning gardens – Japanese, Provencal, classic French, Spanish, Florentine, oriental and exotic.

Chapelle Notre-Dame des Fontaines – La Brigue

This 12^th century shrine in La Brigue is decorated entirely by the Italian masters Baleison and Canavesio in 1492.  This remarkable collection of wall frescos will be displayed at the Chapelle Notre-Dame des Fontaines until October 31, 2011.

Trophee des Alpes – Trophee d’Auguste

This stunningly mighty Roman monument was built to venerate the victory of Emperor Augustus over the unruly Ligurian tribes and to honour “pax romana” throughout the region. Standing high above Monacco, the Trophee des Alpes – Trophee d’Auguste provides a fantastic perspective of the Cote d’Azur.

Les Arenes de Cimiez, Nice

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Europe’s leading in-water exhibition returns later this year for its 34^th anniversary.

The exhibit offers visitors the opportunity to preview the finest yachts and boats on the market, all amongst the unique and exclusive setting of Cannes.

Yacht owners and buyers from countries gather from around the world to discover what the luxury boating world has to offer.

The show averages around 54,000 visitors each year and exhibits 500 boats in water, 87% of which are from overseas. It introduces 139 new models, and features 169 vessels that measure over 20 metres long.

There are also around 400 exhibitors, coming from 39 different countries. However, the organisers are continually pushing to expand into new exhibition areas to open the exhibition up to even more exhibitors and visitors.

The boat show is separated into 3 main areas:

The Vieux Port specialises in showing new yachts to potential buyers, boasting around 470 of the latest boat designs. They offer visitors the chance to preview the finest new models from the world’s leading shipyards. The collection is a mix of motorboats and sailing boats, measuring from 10 – 50 metres long. The Vieux Port also has 200 smaller boats that are shown on land, measuring less than 10 metres.

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