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Located in the small Provencal town of Saint-Remy-de-Provence, the Monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole is a large ancient complex consisting of several buildings dating from the 11th century. You can easily reach it from the city center on foot in 20-30 minutes. But the monastery also offers free parking facilities
The Monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole is located near the ruins of the ancient city of Glanum, which is also worth a visit. This is a very quiet, peaceful, and atmospheric place that will be interesting for tourists coming to Saint-Remy. According to legend, this place was home to St. Paul and was worshipped by pagans because of a healing spring.
Today, there is a beautiful Romanesque Monastery of Saint-Paul, a two-story square-plan bell tower topped by a pyramidal roof, as well as a functioning psychiatric ward, where art therapy is practiced. Paintings by the patients living here can be purchased at the local tourist shop.
The monastery is famous primarily for the fact that the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh decided to spend the last year of his life here. He arrived in May 1889 for voluntary treatment and spent exactly a year here. The doctors allowed him to leave the ward, visit the surrounding area, paint.
The monastery is adorned with a well-kept flower garden and picturesque alleys, as well as awesome olive groves, cypresses, and lavender fields. Visitors can enjoy an incredible and peaceful environment, conducive to reflection and meditation.
Today, the monastery houses the Van Gogh Museum, where everyone can visit a reconstructed room of the artist. Another room was reserved for his studio, and one more – for the paintings. The interior of the artist's room is quite modest: a narrow iron bed, a window with bars, a chair, an easel, and a self-portrait.
Next to the monastery, there is the so-called Van Gogh trail, where you can see an open-air exhibition of painting reproductions by the great master. There is also his stone monument with an armful of sunflowers. The monastery is open 7 days a week. The admission fee is 6 euros per person.