I
was out on deck for sail into Villefranche-sur-Mer… Beautiful morning! We were on the first tender this morning and
anxious to explore a new port for us. Before arriving in Villefranche-sur-Mer
we did some research and mapped out a route to touch on the highlights of the
town. The tender pier is an ideal location in the Center of town. With map in
hand, we turned right from the tender pier and immediately came to the
Romanesque St Pierre Chapel. This 16th-century chapel was once used as a
storage area by the local fishermen during the 19th century. Later, Jean
Cocteau a local famous artist painted murals of the local fisherman, depicting
their lives in Villefranche. The facade of the chapel is a beautiful mural…we
went inside saw the beautiful murals and decided not to stay very long since
photography was not allowed. Continuing along the waterfront there were little
restaurants and shops along the way. We were looking for Rue Obscure and found
the stone arch, climbed a few steps and to our right was Rue Obscure (Hidden
Street). It was built in 1260 for the military, so they could walk the length
of the village without being seen. When it was no longer in use, houses
were built out on top of it and the now almost tunnel was used for wine
storage or a place to keep animals. Unsurprisingly, given its unique
construction and quite creepy medieval vibes, the Rue Obscure helped to
establish Villefranche-sur-Mer as a film location in the 20th century.
Supposedly over 150 movies and TV shows have been shot in the town. Winding
through the old town we were next on the hunt for Saint-Michel Church and a
small square and came upon Place du Conseil…this is where city authorities met
to make important decisions. We did find St. Michel Church and it was open so
we paid a visit to this lovely baroque style church built in the 18th century.
Our next conquest was finding the Villefranche-sur-Mer Saturday market…success!
This market is held in the Francois Binon Garden located above the sports
stadium. Our last find was the Villefranche Citadel…we took a roundabout route
to find the fort but the views were great. The Citadel of Villefranche-sur-Mer
was built in the 1500’s as a medieval fortress that sits on a hill high above
the city. It’s got the best view in town, as it’s high enough to look out
across the bay, the town, and the coastline of the Cote d’Azur. Today the
fortress is home to the City Hall, several museums, a beautiful garden, and an
open-air theater. There was a Bridget Bardot exhibition that we stopped in to
see. We would say that Villefranche-sur-Mer is a must visit on the French
Riviera. Every little corner of this seaside town is lovely, from the old town
and the deep blue sea to the dense green hills behind. Most buildings in the
old town are from the 12th or 13th century and have been beautifully preserved.
This little gem Villefranche is less known on this coastline because of its
close to better known places like Monaco and Nice. We really enjoyed our time
in Villefranche-sur-Mer... It was a
beautiful day so I spent a couple of hours in the sun when we got back to the
ship. Decided to go in when the
predicted squalls seemed to be heading our way…
Tomorrow we will be in Italy, docking in Livorno. Ewe have a great day planned.
