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Vence

*Vença* (Occitan)
Vence Vença (Occitan)
Commune
	A view of Vence with the Mediterranean Sea in the background
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location of Vence
	Vence Vence
	Coordinates: 43°43′25″N 7°06′51″E / 43.7236°N 7.1142°E
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Alpes-Maritimes
Arrondissement	Grasse
Canton	Vence
Intercommunality	Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Régis Lebigre
Area 1	39.23 km2 (15.15 sq mi)
Population (2021)	19,415
• Density	490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Demonym	Vençois
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	06157 /06140
Elevation	40–1,033 m (131–3,389 ft) ; (avg. 325 m or 1,066 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Vence (French pronunciation: [vɑ̃s]; Occitan: Vença) is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France, north of Nice and Antibes on the Mediterranean coast.

Ecclesiastical history

The first known Bishop of Vence is Severus, bishop in 439 and perhaps as early as 419.

Among others are: Veranus, son of St. Eucherius, Archbishop of Lyon and a monk of Lérins, bishop before 451 and at least until 465; St. Lambert, first a Benedictine monk (died 1154); Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1505–11).

Antoine Godeau, Bishop of Grasse, was named Bishop of Vence in 1638; the Holy See wished to unite the two dioceses. Meeting with opposition from the chapter and the clergy of Vence Godeau left Grasse in 1653, to remain Bishop of Vence, which see he held until 1672.

The diocese of Nice now unites the three former Dioceses of Nice, Grasse and Vence.

Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	9,420	—
1975	11,385	+2.74%
1982	13,119	+2.05%
1990	15,330	+1.97%
1999	16,982	+1.14%
2009	19,183	+1.23%
2014	18,536	−0.68%
2020	19,315	+0.69%
Source: INSEE^[3]

Sights

Within the historic village, a medieval walled village, there are numerous interesting sights and monuments. The Peyra Gate was remodelled in 1810. The fountain was rebuilt in 1822 replacing an older one dating from 1578. Nearby is an ash tree, donated by François I and planted in 1538. The castle is today the Fondation Émile Hugues, a modern and contemporary art museum. The cathedral was built in the 4th century on the site of a Roman temple. The stone of the western façade dates from 239. Another, on the right, was engraved in December 220. Other stones in the external walls represent funerary dedications. Also on the western side of the church, the Pierre du Tauroble evokes the cult of Cybele and also the Great mother of the Gods of Mount Ida. A chapel in the cathedral has a mosaic by Marc Chagall, dated 1979. The rue des Portiques is a section of the old Roman road.^[4]

The town has a small chapel, up above the Cité Historique Chapelle du Rosaire (1948, completed in 1951), decorated with stained glass and other fittings by Henri Matisse, who owned a home in the village towards the end of his life.

Vence is famous for its spring water, which can be collected from numerous fountains in the town.

Education

Nursery schools

École Maternelle lei bigaradie
École Maternelle du Signadour
École Maternelle de l'ouest

Primary schools

École primaire du Suve
École primaire Saint-Michel
École primaire Toreille
École primaire Chagall
École Célestin Freinet

Grammar school

Collège La Sine

High school

Lycée Henri Matisse

References

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr (in French). Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 2 December 2020.
^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
^ Itinéraire découverte de la Cité Historique, Office de Tourisme de Vence 2011

External links

Media related to Vence at Wikimedia Commons

Vence travel guide from Wikivoyage
Pictures of Vence Cathedral: [1], [2]
French language Wikipedia Article about Henri Calet
French language Wikipedia Article about Émile Delavenay

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Nice". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.