The above is only a very small snapshot of this location, if you have further information on this location that you think would be of use to visitors to this site you can contact me and I will include it in this page. .... Back to France...,,Home
Collioure
In the Pyrenees Orientales, near the Mediterranean sea, Collioure well-known for its belfry, its anchovies and for the Fauvism created by Matisse and Derain, fascinates you with the mildness of its climate and the crystal-clear water of its beaches, rewarded by the European Blue Flag. You'll spend here very nice and sunny holidays in an environnement where Art is opened to all.
Collioure was a very important harbour during the Greek and Phoenician times. As early as the great Antiquity, cauco Illiberis was visited by the famoust civilizations of the Mediterranean countries. After the Wisigoths and the Saracens incursions, Collioure was fortified during the Carolingiens time. From the XIIth to the XVIIth centuries Collioure was alternately annexed to the kingdoms of Aragon, Majorca and France. The town definitely returned to France in 1659 (Treaty of the Pyrenees).
In 1905, Matisse and Derain discovered Collioure. They found the colours and light dazzlingly beautiful and invented the Fauvist Art. Today, all along the " Fauvism footpath ", you will discover 20 reproductions displayed on the spots where the original works were painted.
Picasso, Dali, Juan Gris, Hanicotte, Foujita falled also in love with Collioure.
Poetry, as well has left its mark on the town. The famous spanish poet Antonio Machado sleeps for ever in the old cemetery. Every year in February, his memory is honoured. Another famous writer buried in the new cemetery, Patrick O' Brian.