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VallaurisBetween Cannes and Nice lies the artists town of Vallauris. Vallauris will forever be associated with Pablo Picasso, for it was Picasso that practically single-handedly saved the towns ceramic industry. In 1946 Picasso rented a small villa in Vallauris and at the time the local ceramic industry was on its last legs (thanks to the introduction of aluminium cookware). Picasso met George and Suzanne Ramie who introduced him to clay - and Picasso fell in love with the new medium. Picasso gave the Ramies exclusive rights to sell his ceramics and today around 200 potters ply their trade in Vallauris. It is a fair understatement to say that many of them are not up to their illustrious forefather! By 1949 Picasso's passion for ceramic was waning and he was planning to leave Vallauris so the people of the town, not wishing him to leave, gave him permission to decorate the chapel in town as he saw fit: the result includes a hastily painted mural on the subject of War and Peace - it is very powerful. Another Picasso piece is the bronze statue of a man and sheep in place La Liberation - donated by Picasso on condition that children be allowed to climb all over it! Napolean landed close to Vallauris on his way from Elba to the Champs Elysees - a stone obelisk marks the spot in Golfe-Juan. Return form Vallauris to Nice City Home Page
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