Collioure: City of Artists

Many artists have been attracted to Collioure over the years. Matisse and Derain spent an intense summer here in 1905 at the very introduction of Fauvism and many other artists came here for the light and the outdoor activity.

The town has done an excellent job of building on its reputation as a city of artists. They’ve posted replicas of paintings by Matisse and Derain around town so you can compare what they saw with what you see. The Maison du Fauvisme offers excellent guided tours outlining the history of the town, its connection with Fauvism, and several other subjects.

Visitors are also invited to step into the shoes of an artist. There are frames around town that let you picture the bell tower from various different locations.

Some of the restaurants have artistic storefronts.

Of particular note is the Templiers. The mosaic on their façade is based on a painting by Derain and the restaurant itself is wallpapered with paintings that they’ve accepted over the years in lieu of payment for meals.

The town itself is a work of art, filled with colourful stucco buildings with contrasting shutters. Originally, the fishermen would use up any paint left over from finishing their boats on their shutters.

I was entranced by some of the winding alleyways. The houses on a couple of streets are identical as they were originally housing for soldiers and officers.