Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Signac, Modigliani, Soutine and Chagall came for the light, and the Colombe d'Or hotel accepted paintings from artists who could not pay — its dining room now holds a Picasso, a Léger and a Calder mobile in the pool. Chagall is buried in the village cemetery, and the Fondation Maeght above it is among the finest private modern collections in Europe.