History

She was an accomplished pianist, but Misia Sert was also an artists’ muse, and a patron of the arts. Hazel Smith recounts her colourful career – and remarkable life... Artists and writers, musicians and dancers...

Theadora traces the footsteps of a remarkable feminist who also championed pets’ rights After getting all Balzac from too much coffee, I begin to picture the scene. From my bench in the Jardin des Tuileries,...

Famous for its cider and its eponymously named eau-de-vie, this is William the Conqueror’s birthplace and where the Allies landed in 1944. Marion Sauvebois discovers a département where the locals have become the self-appointed...

For the people of Essoyes, a village in southern Champagne, the Year of Renoir, which was celebrated last year, capped years of planning, hard work, and determined effort that culminated in the opening of...

From the world’s largest megalithic site to fairy-tale châteaux and historic dungeons, Marion Sauvebois rounds up this summer’s must-visit National Monuments in western France LES ALIGNEMENTS DE CARNAC Is it a ruined prehistoric temple? An ancient...

Churches and Abbeys in Burgundy for Beginners Because Burgundy is a places of fantastic religious art it would be a shame to pass through without taking in some of these spectacular sights. No two churches...

France’s streets and squares provide a unique history lesson for travellers. Gillian Thornton digs deeper into the French national identity Wandering round the historic centre of Chartres, map in hand, I stopped on the river...

On the pilgrim path of Saint Jacques between Le Romieu and Condom is Castelnau-sur-l'Auvignon, a commune in the Gers department of southwest France. It looks unremarkable at first glance but appearances can be deceptive...

Many a French city has surprised me over the years, most of them in a good way, but Rennes has so far been the only one to make me feel guilty. I hadn’t walked...

Long revered by art lovers for its van Gogh connection, charming Auvers-sur-Oise is busy talking up its Impressionist pedigree – and it’s something worth shouting about. We’re going to go ahead and say it: the...