La Colombe d'Or: A Little History

The Provençal art de vivre. A way of being that is measured by beauty and simplicity in equal quantity, seemingly uncomplicated and entirely blissful. A life that is embellished with sea-lashed shores, golden light, time spent together and really, really good food. No distractions. What comes to mind when you think of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the medieval town perched atop a hill? For us, it's happy emotion entwined with nostalgia, the golden yellow of olive oil poured at the table and the scent of lavender and thyme in the air. All the time in the world. 

Our affinity with the South of France is no secret, it is here, where our late co-founder Bernadette Bishop spent her childhood and it is here, where co-founder June Summerill has had a beautiful home for many years. It's also the home to La Colombe d'Or - arguably the French Riveria's most mythic address. A place where time stops still. 

Today we're taking the time to trace the history of the La Colombe d'Or, albeit briefly, as such a storied spot cannot be easily surmised in mere passages. So, sit back and enjoy this Easter Sunday.

With love,
S&B
x

[ 'Le Menu' awaits ]

Reacquaint yourself with the Summerill & Bishop x La Colombe d'Or 'Le Menu' collection - so that you can experience a little of that inimitable and indefinable essence of La Colombe d'Or, at home.

La Colombe d'Or has belonged to the same family since its inception in 1920 as 'À Robinson', a café-restaurant with an al fresco terrace where locals would enjoy the good things in life: good food, good wine and good company. All who would frequent the spot, basked in the rays of golden light, sharing stories together whilst immersed in the innocence of an insouciant Provençal Summer. 

Paul Roux initially opened À Robinson as a place to celebrate the languorous way of life in Provence, and rather quickly, decided to convert it into a 'guinguette' every weekend, with music, dancing and joy! Joie de vivre mixed with the blithe spirit that wine and song inevitably induce, of course, attracted more and more people as time went on. A coalescence of the characters ensued, with those passing through, the supposed sophisticates from the city, side to side with local villagers. In the evening there was entertainment and frivolity and by day, people came to enjoy conversation, to play cards and pétanque.

Two years went by and Paul Roux met and married his wife Baptistine. By 1929, a son christened Francis, would be born to them. Their world began to turn and their time was measured by every equinox and solstice, by the rhythm of flowers and fruits flourishing in the garden, by the changing colours of their vista. The whispers of merriment and the memorable evenings of À Robinson spread across the region and its client list swelled inordinately. Quiet life wasn't so. Baptistine and Paul agreed to close the café-restaurant to regain their peace.

[ The Table Linens ]

25th Anniversary 'Le Menu' S&B x La Colombe d'Or Linen Tablecloth
165 x 380cm

In the 1930s when the newly imagined La Colombe d'Or opened its doors, the inn had just three guest rooms and the reputation of the former À Robinson was such that there were never any vacancies, no matter the month. It is here that Paul Roux struck up deep friendships with a number of artists. He quickly developed a deep interest and appreciation for the arts and so, would exchange a stay or a few meals for a painting. 

The inn became a place to work and to meet for artists, who had come to seek out that certain magic of Provence. A trifecta of stunning scenery, the charming way of life and the warm welcome of their host kept them coming and kept them returning. The ambience there was unique.

The likes of Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Léger, Miró, Chagall, Villon and Picabia were all habitués of La Colombe. They loved the endless sun of Provence, which would tease out the colours of the landscape like no other. New palettes, practices, dazzlement and discovery abounded - a new adventure in modern art. Newness in a centuries old setting, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a brilliant and unusual juxtaposition. 

Over time, the walls of La Colombe would change whilst much else stayed the same. Adorned with modern paintings, either bought, exchanged or gifted, the walls bore the wildly different styles and modes, signature to their famous creators. But they all found a home here - testament to the commonality and community that La Colombe upheld. A place whose raison d'être was and remains to be bon vivant.

With the arrival of World War II, life at La Colombe proved to be reassuringly constant, a safe haven for creativity, even as both German and American officers found their way into its guest book. In the post-war years, its reputation was further enhanced with the arrival of Joan Miro, Marc Chagall and Cesar Baldaccini, who all added to the inn's ever growing art collection.

Pablo Picasso became a regular visitor and became firm friends with Paul Roux. By contrast though, Picasso left no impression on La Colombe's walls until shortly before Paul's death in 1953. He too, was the first person at the burial of Roux and was considered like family. 

One night in 1959, disaster struck. All the paintings at La Colombe were stolen; all except one, a Chagall. The artist came arrived soon thereafter and according to French folklore, famously quipped: "I'm a big-time artist! Why are you not stealing my paintings too?!". Of course it was evident that the thieves had poor taste! Fortunately, word spread of the theft and all the paintings were soon returned - an alarm system has been in place ever since. 

By the sixties, a new set had moved in at the inn. Intellectuals Jean-Paul Satre and Simone de Beauvoir would stay, while American writer James Baldwin's impassioned rhetoric could often be heard at one of the dining tables. He even relocated to the region after staying at La Colombe in 1970, remaining in the area until his death in 1987.

Lavandin Essence Bottle
Set of Six 'Gastronomic' Herb Linen Napkins
Abaca Woven Cutlery Box with Lid
Glass Jam Jar with Orange Lid

La Colombe is still owned by the Roux family, now in their third generation. The place has remained untouched by the passing decades - there still hangs a sign in the inn, that says "Ici on loge chavel, a pied ou en peinture" - here we lodge those on horseback, foot or with paintings. This great refuge for 20th century artists soon became a destination for all sorts of celebrated figureheads, most notably from the world of film. Charlie Chaplin, David Niven, Orson Welles and Alain Delon made way for the likes of Michael Caine, Roger Moore and Jack Nicholson.

As with so many things on the Côte d'Azur, the inn was not untouched by the Cannes Film Festival. Stars of the "Nouvelle Vague", Brigitte Bardot and director Francois Truffaut, spent days in the dappled shade of La Colombe's courtyard. Its glamorous credentials were never disputed - the kings of Sweden and Belgium and the Prince of Wales, all visited in the 1950s.

Today, whilst the artists are gone, La Colombe retains its mythical status. An escape that poses as the looking glass between life and art, as though the two were never distinct.