www.vence-tourisme-com. Set in the hills a little distance back from the coast, Vence’s main attraction is the Chapelle de la Rosaire, avenue Henri-Matisse (1.5 km N of the town centre. This was Matisse’s final major project, completed in 1951, as a gift to Dominican nuns who had nursed him through an illness. The austere simplicity of the smooth marble floor, black outlines depicting the Stations of the Cross and St Dominic on stark white ceramic-tiled walls, and rough-hewn stone altar provides a powerful contrast to the dazzling play of light filtered through the stained glass windows. Splashes of lemon yellow, brilliant azure blue and deep green shift across the scene, and Matisse’s entire concept extends to the slender light fittings and dignified vestments.

Built on the site of a Roman settlement, the cobbled streets and little squares of Vence’s Old Town are well-worth exploring. A stone gateway leads into place de Peyra, and a host of craft shops and boutiques. The Cathédrale has a mosaic by Chagall; and there are views of the Alps from boulevard Paul-André, which traces the town walls.