Paris1972-Versailles2003

Now this was a pleasant surprise to find me couple old picture from this village in the Vexin Français . I like to tell you a bit on Vétheuil , a town we used to passed by a lot and stop to see off the beaten path goodies. Therefore, let me tell you a bit about this is Vétheuil !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

The town of Vétheuil is located in the Val-d’Oise department 95 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France. A village located in the Vexin Français bordering the Yvelines,(78) ; approximately 60 km from Paris. It is served by the banks of the Seine road D 913 in Val-d’Oise (95) and road D 147 in Yvelines (78).

Vétheuil was an important town in the Middle Ages which had two hospitals outside its ramparts , the Saint-Étienne leper hospital, established in 1228 and the Mathurins hospital, created in 1217 and destroyed in the 18C. Other historical important monument is the Château de Vétheuil destroyed by Bertrand du Guesclin in 1364, The underground passages are the only remains of the fortified castle (not accessible). Guest rooms are set up there

The Church of Notre-Dame is the main monument here me think, The church is dedicated to the nativity of the Blessed Virgin , By its size, its layout with double collaterals and its particularly rich and varied furniture, stands out from the village churches of the Vexin Français, because Vétheuil was in the Middle Ages a town of some importance. By its architecture, and in particular its apse of primitive Gothic style and its two portals of the Renaissance, the Notre-Dame Church occupies a special place among the religious architecture of the region. Towards the end of the 12C, construction of a new chancel was started, and it was completed at the very beginning of the 13C. The bell tower was rebuilt in the Gothic style during the same century. The western parts of the nave that we see today date exclusively from the first half of the 16C, and are in the Flamboyant Gothic style. Access staircase to the church on a 50 steps 5 meters wide and leads to the portal, There is a Calvary, in front of the portal of the church, at the top of the staircase: high cross in freestone from 1764 , consisting of a two-tiered pedestal, a plinth, a square shaft tapering towards its top, and a Latin cross with a statuette of Christ.

The town of Vétheuil is best known by Claude Monet’s stay in the 19C gradually gave the village a tourist reputation. The village is renowned for having been the setting for the stay of Claude Monet, an impressionist painter who painted around 150 of his works there.His first wife Camille Doncieux , died on September 5, 1879 at the age of 32, and is buried in the village cemetery. Later Monet had a crazy relationship with Alice Hoschedé and Claude Monet or the love in impressionism. They lived in the house at Vetheuil with Ernest Hoschedé, Alice, and the Monet. Alice had 8 children, 6 with Hoschedé and 2 with Monet. The House rented by Claude Monet, on rue Claude-Monet ,the owner was Mme Elliot The painter rented the house from 1878 to 1881 and was evicted for not having paid the rent !

Also, Vétheuil (spelled Véteuil) was the setting for the novel Madeleine Férat written by Emile Zola in 1868. Joan Mitchell, an American painter, acquired a house there and lived from 1968 until her death in 1992 ,She was born February 12, 1925 in Chicago and died October 30, 1992 in Paris, She was an American painter and printmaker who was part of the American Abstract Expressionism movement, although she lived in France for much of her career. She claimed inspiration from Vincent van Gogh, but her works also make broad reference to Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse and Claude Monet

The town of Vétheuil and its heritage : https://mairie-vetheuil.fr/le-village/decouvrir-vetheuil

The Val d’Oise dept 95 tourist office on Vétheuil : https://www.valdoise-tourisme.com/?s=vetheuil

There you go folks, a wonderful find indeed , and an off the beaten path site of a Mr Monet to boot. Again hope you enjoy the post on this is Vétheuil as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!