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         PONT AVEN: THE CITY OF PAINTERS

When visiting France, its regions and territories, one is always delighted by the encounters also with the men and women who live there against a backdrop of

landscapes where the magical colors often appear at sunrise and nothing like a

a getaway to PONT AVEN known as the CITY OF PAINTERS and located in South Brittany in the Finistère department in Britanny region to discover its attractions and charm enhanced by a magnificently preserved cultural and artistic heritage that bears witness to our history.

Located in the southern part of Finistère in Brittany , near the Atlantic coast and bordered to the east by the Aven river

or it widens into an estuary which forms a ria , known as an Aber in Breton , which formerly covered the waters of the

Aven alongside powering its numerous mills, which gave rise to the saying of "Pont Aven, a renowned city with 14 mills and 15 houses,"the town of Pont Aven is a radiant city. which one visits with pleasure while strolling along its ria and on

its adjoining footbridges near watermills, as well as discovering the charm of its small port before to wander through its

narrow streets dotted with brightly colored flowers and complemented by typical , charming shops and boutiques of

local traditions, particularly gastronomic ones like the famous Galettes De Pont Aven in the same way as its art galleries

which are a vibrant expression of its cultural vitality and its globally recognized reputation from easy access and great

location in addition to the variety of its landscapes and colours it is a pleasure to admire in autumn season when the

pastel tones are abundant; Pont-Aven has fascinated artists since the 19th century as shown by paintings and some

lithographs dating from 1830, but it was only in 1864 that a young American painter named Henry Bacon during a great

stopover in Pont Aven during a trip to the stagecoach driver traveling between Concarneau and Quimperlé was charmed

by this pretty and great village and gave this town its true name in the artistic and cultural world that then saw other young American painters from the city of Philadelphia such as Charles Way, Earl Shinn, Howard Roberts alongside other artists from Great Britain such as Lewis and Carraway as well as the French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme, also a teacher at

the Art School Of Paris, which encouraged its students to go to Pont Aven during their summer holidays, as did many other painters who stayed in this unusual place, which also included hotels with shimmering architecture such as the Hotels des Voyageurs or Du Lion D'or, as well as the Gloanec boarding house or the Manoir de Levazen, in welcoming and delightful spaces that still exist today.

Natural Spaces Filled with Emotion

Curiosity, coupled with a growing reputation,led to a second wave of painters frequenting Pont Aven from the 1880 year

included, notably, the arrival in the summer of 1886 of the talented Paul Gauguin, who remains to this day a major figure in French painting. It also took into account the creation in the same year of the Pont-Aven Art School, which brought together under one banner the various artists who regularly came to paint, and whose leaders Gauguin's works such as

The Yellow Christ, The Green Christ or The Beautiful Angel are recognized and appreciated worldwide alongside other paintings expressing the sensitivity and talent of the artist during the years 1886 to 1895 when he stayed in Pont Aven, all interspersed with a very short stay in Tahiti between 1891 and 1892 before leaving France permanently in July 1895

to live in the Marquesas Islands. In the frame of The EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS will take place on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September 2026, and as every year, the Pont Aven museum allows visitors to discover numerous works on

display, such as those by Gauguin or others Sérusier in parallel with the history of the city of painters also incorporating

the specific features and secrets of its creation of paintings that go from the canvas to the paint layer, just as it is very

interesting to follow a path along the edges of the Aven which leads to the Bois d'Amour,which was also a great place of

inspiration, like the Trémalo chapel located further south from the city before reaching Port Manech beach, which is

notably adorned with shimmering white cabins made of wood, it inspired many artists. This territory is very fascinating because it delights nature lovers, history buffs (its heritage and past are so rich and diverse), and artists who love color.

and their varieties expressed both in broad daylight and at sunrise or sunset on its rich heritage architectural evidence

of our history and its natural spaces imbued with emotions make the city of Pont Aven an great ideal and unforgettable holiday and weekend destination.

Report by: Gabriel PAGE

Photos credit: Gabriel PAGE / Getty Images

LOCAL REGIONS AND TRADITIONS

Discover the majestic and invigorating department of Finistère , which combines and local produce traditions and radiant maritime landscapes by clicking on the URL link to our website.