Provence in Art & Film

This is the city where a painter obsessed with colour created some of the most recognisable works in art. The streets are still visible in his canvases, though he could hardly have imagined their fame. Lunch brings beef braised in wine, local rosé and bread dipped in olive oil made in the valley, one of the few oils in the world with its own appellation.

Next comes a village perched on a cliff, seemingly carved from the rock rather than built upon it. Below, a former quarry has become an immersive world of painting: walls several storeys high come alive with music and a new visual story each year.

This is where Ridley Scott filmed A Good Year, with Russell Crowe as a man who arrives to claim an inheritance and ends up staying. The director himself was captivated by the same light, quiet and wine. Peter Mayle, whose book inspired the film, also lived here. Between them, they helped shape the image of Provence known around the world. The château used in the film remains a family wine estate, and Coin Perdu, its fictional wine made real, can still be found if you are lucky.

We also visit Ridley Scott's own wine estate. He stayed, planted roots and began making wine on his land; the cellar now holds film artefacts alongside the barrels. People still travel from across the world in search of the landscapes, scenes and particular stillness they remember from the screen.

On the way is a small town that has become an unexpected centre for contemporary art. An American art school occupies medieval buildings now filled with studios and galleries. Above it stands the Marquis de Sade's château, later owned by Pierre Cardin. The interior is closed, but the view across the Luberon to Mont Ventoux makes the climb worthwhile.

On the way stands a Roman bridge that has survived two thousand years of floods and wars in remarkable condition. Then comes a village named the world's most beautiful in 2023 and, unusually for such a title, one that truly lives up to it.

Nearby is an abbey where the monks still follow a rhythm established in the twelfth century, surrounded by lavender that appears to have been planted for the sole benefit of photographers. The monks sell their own honey and lavender essences. Close by, an entire village was built in dry stone by people who were clearly in no hurry.

A glass of local Côtes du Luberon completes the scene. Wine from here deserves to be enjoyed as slowly as the day itself unfolds.