Travel merrily along, carried by Impressionist currents, from Caen to the Cotentin
The Normandy counties of Calvados and La Manche may first bring to mind medieval treasures and intense World War II memories rather than Impressionism. And yet! It was in La Manche that Jean-François Millet was born and took his first steps as an artist, becoming a Realist painter who opened the way to a good number of Impressionists.
The family of post-Impressionist painter Paul Signac frequently spent summer holidays in the county of Calvados. Signac continued to explore the region, notably spending five years in La Manche at Barfleur, the port nicknamed the Pearl of the Saire Valley by writer Jules Renard. Just as with Rouen, which nurtured many young artists, the city of Caen in Calvados supported the likes of Stanislas Lépine, who took part in the first Impressionist exhibition of 1874, and who returned to Caen every summer for his holidays.
What to see and do
from Caen to the Cotentin
Interactive
map
Explore the Impressionist area from Caen to the Cotentin thanks to our interactive map!
Inspiring
momentsShare a déjeuner sur l’herbe in the shade of birch trees and maples, feeling like you’re in the countryside although you’re in the heart of the city of Caen! Follow up with a siesta enhanced by the scent of poppies, with perennials and rose bushes stretching as far as the eye can see. Explore the Vallée des Jardins in Caen’s Quartier Saint Julien. caenlamer-tourisme.com
Awaken all your senses at Vauville Botanical Garden, which combines olfactory delights with delicious culinary pleasures. Having counted off over 1,000 exotic species, succumb to the guilty pleasure of tasting the devilishly good local apple-based pâtisserie, Le Grévillais! jardin-vauville.fr
