Religious Sights in Vence — 3 of Our Favourites

He created the chapel as a monument to sacred art in the world and dedicated four years of his life to the design and architecture of the building.

From the stained glass to the ceramics and furniture, the chapel was, he claimed, "the result of my working life. I consider its imperfections as my masterpiece".

The chapel was a request from a young nun named Monique Bourgeois, who had nursed Matisse back to health after he was treated for cancer in 1941.

It has a simple white exterior measuring 15 by six metres, with a roof of blue and white tiles. The brown stone alter was specifically chosen to resemble the colour and texture of bread as a nod to the Eucharist. The stained glass windows in the vibrant shades of yellow (for the sun), green (nature) and blue (sea) reflect the Mediterranean surroundings. Three murals in black and white depict St Dominic, the Virgin and Child and Stations of the Cross and were painted on 12 inch tiles before being fixed to the interior walls.

The small gift shop donates all its profits to the Dominican convent.

The central nave still features its original late Romanesque style, while the side aisles were added in the 16th century to enlarge the building. The church was raised to the condition of collegiate church in 1666, so new interior decorations were purchased such as the choir, sculpted in 1668. The chapel of Saint Clement was also built then in a rich Baroque style.

The grand bell tower dates from the 18th. The church has four chapels and a collection of antiquities which include parchment from the 16th century, a Tintoretto painting and precious jewellery.

The first traces of the brotherhood of White Penitents in Saint-Paul de Vence date back to 1581. They formed an association of pious laymen who did good works to earn forgiveness for their sins. Their charity work with the underprivileged included caring for the sick, handing out clothing and food to the needy, and giving grain to farmers in trouble. They would also offer food and shelter to lost travellers and penniless pilgrims. The brotherhood existed in Saint-Paul de Vence until the beginning of the 1920s. This chapel was their headquarters.

In 2005, a huge project was undertaken here by Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon to decorate the interior of the chapel in a manner which encapsulates the work of the White Penitents. On Folon's death in 2005, the work was continued by a select group of artisans. Look out for the mosaic of stained glass windows.