Art is everywhere.. (A.M.Saanders) A vast open-air art gallery
At first glance, you realise that Mougins is indeed a place where history, art and stunning landscapes come together. Visitors still enter the village through the historic Saracen Gate - one of the original fortified entrances dating from the 15th century.
This gate is like the entrance to an art gallery. Mougins is full of paintings and other works of art. It is adorned with large, whimsical sculptures of fruit and headless figures.
Picasso, on the contrary, is represented by an oversized head - a bronze work by the Dutch sculptor Gabriël Sterk.
In Mougins, Picasso is represented by a huge head - a bronze work by the Dutch sculptor Gabriël Sterk
As you stroll through the medieval circular streets, it becomes clear that Mougins truly exudes something that inspires creativity. What’s more, the air is constantly filled with the aroma of something delicious.
The case is that historically, Mougins has become home to a large number of haute cuisine restaurants. Roger Vergé, one of the greatest chefs of his time, once lived here.
Additionally, since 2006 the village has hosted the prestigious international gastronomy Les Étoiles de Mougins festival.
In Mougins.. (AMS) Impressed by the Irish style?
It is said that Pablo Picasso was captivated by the prospect of purchasing a large farmhouse (‘mas’) in Mougins, called Notre-Dame-de-Vie.
It is worth noting that, apparently, it was not the authentic farmhouse that attracted the artist, but a villa already furnished according to Irish taste. Indeed this farmhouse had previously belonged to the Guinness family.
Benjamin Guinness, a banker and descendant of the Irish brewing dynasty, purchased the traditional farmhouse in Mougins in the mid-1920s and transformed it into a luxurious villa.
It was here that Winston Churchill stayed in the 1930s. Incidentally, the future prime minister also succumbed to the creative spirit of Mougins and painted a picture depicting the local 13th-century chapel.
To look and taste.. (AMS) Picasso's house previously belonged to a descedent of the famous Irish brewing Guinness family
Pablo Picasso moved to the village permanently with his last wife, Jacqueline Roque in 1961. It was here that the artist set up his final studio where he was exceptionally prolific and concentrated.
In Mougins, he was able to lead a much more secluded life compared to previous years, and was constantly surrounded by his beloved works of art and gardens.
In the village.. (AMS) Pablo Picasso died at his home in Mougins on 8 April 1973 at the age of 91. However, the artist was buried at Château de Vauvenargues in the Provence region of France, another estate he owned.
