support and guidance that Duché d’Uzès producers are looking for The chance to work with a diverse panel of buyers from different channels of the premium on and off-trades who were interested in trying and potentially listing new wines The opening spread of the PDF downloadable report featuring all the buyers' full comments They were tasked with judging two sets of wines from the Duché d’Uzès region with different buyers assessing each set Juliet Doughty and Ian Wharton tasted wines from both groups They were also asked to taste and assess the wines in the same way answering the following questions for each wine tasted The key here was not to determine whether any of the particular buyers wanted to buy a specific wine for their business but to get their professional evaluation of each wine explaining what they saw as its strength and weaknesses and whether it was the kind of wine that might be suitable for either their business or other outlets in the premium on-trade One of the greatest champions of Duché d’Uzès was writer Jean Racine he wrote to a friend in Paris describing the wines as “the best in the kingdom,” famously stating that “we have nights more beautiful than your days” Its modern history rests on gaining AOC status in July 2013 The region of Duché d’Uzès sits between Nîmes and Alès with the town of Uzès in the east of the region It is blessed with vast areas of limestone plateaux and woodlands that separate Nîmes Its wines are made in the cool shadows of the mountainous Cévennes region to the west and the 630m Mont Bouquet to the north Its mediterranean climate gives its wines a fiery southern character with big swings in day and night time temperatures helping to produce textured alluvium and hard limestone throughout the region are unique to the area With around 340 hectares of vines this is a niche area of the Rhône with growing potential for its red (around 55% of production) white (29%) and rosé (16%) and average yields of 31 hl/hectare and total production just over 10,000 hectolitres The main red grape varieties grown here are Grenache and Syrah - which must be used in blends of red and rosé wine - supported by Carignan Its white wines are mainly made from Viognier and Grenache Blanc blended with Roussanne A bottle with a coat of arms was created in 2003 by the local Syndicat which is now used on the labels of around 70% of all Duché d’Uzès wines Up to 95% of its wines are bottled in the production area The Buyer TVClick below to watch The Buyer's library of online debates, videos and webinars. Prima Vera, a local campaign group, has launched an online petition calling for the mosaic to be restored on site with the backing of other heritage associations such as Uzège-Pont du Gard Durable. But archaeologists from the French National Institute for Archaeological Research (known as Inrap) began transferring parts of the mosaic last week to a special storage facility managed by the culture ministry in Nimes.   A spokesman for Prima Vera tells The Art Newspaper: “We have [since] been successful in making the regional and local authorities publicly state that the mosaic will return to Uzes, and will be installed in a dedicated place.” The final location will be determined in consultation with local associations, regional and local councils, and other public bodies, he says. A statement issued by the Occitanie regional council says that the mosaic will be cleaned, studied and restored in the Drac (government agency) base in Nimes, with the conservation process expected to last around two years. “It will then be returned to Uzès and presented to the public,” it adds. Phillipe Cayn, the archaeologist in charge of the project, told Agence France-Presse: “This mosaic is very impressive because of its large size, its good state of conservation and the motifs which combine classical geometric shapes and animals [owl, duck and an eagle].” This kind of mosaic usually dates from the first or second centuries, he adds, but this one dates back to around 200 years before which is surprising. news30 June 2017Protesters target Dutch firm involved in removal of 550-year-old tomb from ancient town of HasankeyfSite in Turkey is due to be flooded after completion of giant Ilisu Dam news10 August 2016Ancient Roman mosaics uncovered in Cyprus Two rare finds were made in a matter of weeks depicting chariot races and the labours of Hercules I grew up part-time near a town called Uzès in the South of France and on our way into town we would always pass a mysterious property by the roadside I remember my mother telling us it used to belong to a famous art collector and she would even let us stop and sneak up to the gate on occasion to get a closer look squeezing our little faces in between the iron bars It’s been over twenty years since I’ve seen the house when I happened to be day-dreaming on the Sotheby’s real estate site and found these photographs of a property that gave me such a feeling of déjà vu its secrets are finally revealed to me… who bought the Château de Castille (also known as Chateau d’Argilliers) in 1950 As one of the world’s most important private collectors of Cubist art who frequently visited the 13th century château he convinced Cooper to give him “one of his walls” If I had known back when I was a kid that there were five giant Picasso frescoes hiding behind the walls of that house I sure hope I would have had the sense to squeeze my way through the gate somehow and go take a look at them myself… the two art lovers entertained a circle of friends including Jean Cocteau They received Picasso paintings as Christmas presents and the garden was filled with Braque sculptures Richardson fled to New York and Cooper burned his companion’s possessions demanded their circle of friends to cut off all contact and even attempted to have Interpol arrest him Richardson would later go onto write Picasso’s biography become a close friend of Andy Warhol and outshine his mentor in the art world The Picasso frescoes are located in the pool area at the back of the château and come included in the sale of the house The 7 bedroom property has been on the market publicly for nearly a year now If you consider the Picasso painting that sold for $179,36 million last year in New York a family of French industrialists owned the château and had it decorated by noted American interior designer Dick Dumas known for his impressive work on several Provençal properties With 560 square meters of interior living space the 2 hectares of garden surrounding the house include historic ornaments it also had its own spooky little cemetery on the other side of the road The property is today a protected historic monument I dug up a few old photographs of the property from the 19th and early 20th century… This French blogger went snooping around the shuttered up property in 2014 and does a great job of showing us around all the mysterious outbuildings and garden ornaments… I’d like to think I found this house again for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, one of you reading this might be lucky enough to become the next owner of the Château de Castille Invite me round one day to finally look at those walls in person Last Updated on August 2, 2018 by MessyNessy AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTSlide 1 of 13,This centuries-old estate on nearly 47 acres outside the medieval city of Uzes Share full articleAn 11th-Century Knight’s Tower in the South of FranceThis centuries-old estate on nearly 47 acres outside the medieval city of Uzes The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information تم تشييد جسر غارد قبل الحقبة المسيحية بفترة وجيزة بهدف السماح لقناة مدينة نيم التي يبلغ طولها 50 كيلومتراً من تجاوز نهر الغاردون بتصوّرهم هذا الجسر الذي يبلغ طوله 50 كيلومتراً على ثلاثة مستويات 275متراً، ابتكر الهندسون المائيون والمهندسون المعماريون الرومان تحفةً تقنية وفنية في آن 加德桥建于公元前夕，是为了让尼姆高架渠（长约50公里）横跨加德河所建。这座桥共三层，高约50米，最长的地方为275米，设计这座桥的罗马建筑师和水利工程师创造了一件技术和艺术杰作。 сооруженный незадолго до начала христианской эры - стал составной частью 50-километрового акведука Древнеримские архитекторы и инженеры по гидравлике задумавшие этот трехярусный мост высотой почти 50 м (длиннейший ярус 275 м) создали технический и художественный шедевр este puente es el tramo del largo acueducto romano de Nimes –cincuenta kilómetros– por el que éste atraviesa el río Gard Los arquitectos e ingenieros hidráulicos romanos que proyectaron esta construcción de 50 metros de altura con tres arcadas superpuestas –la más larga mide 275 metros– no sólo realizaron una proeza técnica the Pont du Gard is the major element of a 50.02 km aqueduct built in the middle of the 1st century to supply the city of Nîmes A three-storey aqueduct bridge rising to nearly 48.77 m it enabled the water conduit to cross the Gardon River is a feat and a masterpiece of Roman architectural technique but also a work of art whose presence transfigures the landscape Set in a natural site that enhances its imposing appearance and its lines of force notched by the river spanned by its major arch The gentle and symmetrical tapering of the arches the span of the lower arches and the regularity of the upper gallery give it an extraordinarily airy appearance for a work of such magnitude The Pont du Gard is an outstanding example of bridges built in ancient times It achieves a triple performance with its three levels of arches of unequal dimensions and is characterized by the use for the construction of the arches of the lower levels of juxtaposed rollers composed of voussoirs bearing engraved positioning marks this exceptional edifice is the result of an extensive adaptation to the river regime of the Gardon whose floods are sudden and devastating The lips installed in front of the piers are designed to resist high water and the opening of the principal lower arch (24.52 m instead of 21.87 m for the arches of the extremes) facilitates the flow of water of small stone rubble which hold the abutting flagstones of the canal the Pont du Gard is one of the most revealing monuments as to the construction processes of the early Imperial era On the dressing of the stone can still be seen the marks of the quarrymen’s and stonecutters’ tools showing their position in the assembly schema The precision in execution meets to perfection a challenging design been considered as one of the major accomplishments of the Roman civilization Criterion (i): The Pont du Gard is a masterpiece of Roman technique and an outstanding artistic achievement which Criterion (iii):  An exceptional building in the series of Roman aqueduct works the Pont du Gard bears unique witness to the technique of Roman engineers and builders in the service of urban and territorial development which is one of the characteristics of this civilization Criterion (iv): The Pont du Gard is one of the most representative works of the construction processes of the Roman imperial era the ancient structure lost a great number of stones; upstream of the upper arcade It was also during the Middle Ages that the bridge was adapted to the passage of men and beasts: a path was built and the piles of the second level were cut away over half of their thickness the remarkable state of conservation of the Pont du Gard must be emphasized and corbels were built at the level of the piers to allow for the passage of the road the construction of a road bridge attached to the first level of the Roman bridge was entrusted to the engineer Henri Pitot who had the concern to adjust his work as exactly as possible to the ancient bridge The exceptional ingenuity of the design of the Pont du Gard remains apparent in its slightly curvilinear layout and the lips installed in front of the piers attest to the efforts made to adapt its construction to the river regime of the Gardon The property is one with the richest information on the construction processes of the early Roman imperial period as shown by its refined stonework the assembly of the blocks which still bear the marks of the quarrymen’s and stonecutters’ tools The quarry from which the stones were extracted is preserved some 600 metres from the site The aqueduct of Nîmes ceased to function around the beginning of the 6th century and the Pont du Gard never regained its original use Since the end of the 17th century and up to the present day the Pont du Gard has been the subject of numerous restoration campaigns which have consecrated it in its splendid isolation as an insignia monument It is located at a distance from the villages that today are home to a population of 4500 inhabitants and only two buildings were erected in its immediate vicinity in 1865 and 1901: a flour mill turned restaurant on the left bank The Pont du Gard belongs to the State; the Pont Pitot belongs to the department of Gard The Pont du Gard has been listed as a historical monument since 1840 and protected under the Heritage Code All work on historic monuments is subject to authorization by the regional prefect after advice from the regional curator of historic monuments this historic monument generates a protection perimeter in which all work is subject to authorization by the architect of the Bâtiments de France the Gardon gorges and the Nîmes garrigues have been classified under the Environmental Code (site protection) Work authorizations are subject to ministerial authorization The Pont du Gard benefits from conservation work directly determined financed and implemented by the Ministry of Culture A public establishment for cultural cooperation (EPCC) created in 2003 manages the monument The Pont du Gard EPCC associates the State the Department of Gard and the three communities bordering the site (Castillon du Gard 78% of its financial resources are provided by self-financing (entry fees to the facilities) and 22% by statutory contributions from local authorities A scientific council and a property committee in charge of governance The management plan for the Pont du Gard and its buffer zone (691 hectares) is being drafted Archaeologists have unearthed part of an ancient Roman settlement in southern France, identifying it as the long-lost city of Ucetia which has previously only been known from an inscription in a neighbouring city Excavations have so far uncovered an area of roughly 4,000 metres squared (43,056 square feet) and it's decorated in peculiar mosaics and structures that appear to pre-date the Roman conquest of France more than 2,000 years ago "Prior to our work, we knew that there had been a Roman city called Ucetia only because its name was mentioned on stela in Nîmes, alongside 11 other names of Roman towns in the area," Philippe Cayn from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), told the International Business Times "No artefacts had been recovered except for a few isolated fragments of mosaic." At this stage, very little is known about the elusive city, which is located north of Nîmes - a city in Southern France that's been nicknamed 'the French Rome' because it had flourished under the first Roman emperor Augustus in the late 1st century BC Archaeologists first got hints of its existence with the discovery of the inscription "VCETIAE" (Ucetia) on a stone stela - or slab - found at Nîmes Since then, archaeologists have suggested that the inscription refers to modern day Uzès a small town about 25 kilometres north of Nîmes the INRAP team was brought in to conduct precautionary excavations of Uzès ahead of the construction of a boarding school and a canteen The concern was that the new foundations could accidentally be laid on top of ancient buried ruins the team has since uncovered the remains of a number of grand structures that span several centuries including a wall and many buildings that pre-date Roman expansion into the region A few rare building remains have been dated to as recently as the Middle Ages "The archaeologists found that the site had been occupied from the 1st century BC to the late Antiquity (7th century AD), with an interruption in the 3rd and 4th century, which they haven't been able to explain," Léa Surugue reports for the International Business Times. "The team discovered a large wall and many structures dating to just before the Roman conquest This includes a room where a bread oven was set up and later replaced with a dolium - an enormous ceramic container." the art found on site - brightly coloured mosaics featuring an owl and a wide-eyed fawn - is characteristic of a technique that appeared much later in Roman culture suggesting that this could be one of the birthplaces of that particular style "This mosaic is very impressive because of its large size, its good state of conservation and the motifs which combine classical geometric shapes and with animals," Cayn told Surugue. "This kind of elaborate mosaic pavement is often found in the Roman world in the 1st and 2nd centuries but this one dates back to about 200 years before that The INRAP team says the excavation will continue throughout 2017 so we'll hopefully find out more about this ancient city in the months to come A scientific report on the finds is expected once the artefacts have been properly analysed and dated you can have a look at what they've uncovered so far in the images below: For more inside tips, advice and holiday ideas, go to theguardian.com/travel This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media that make this property next-level spectacular British art-historian and art-collector Douglas Cooper Picasso visited the chateau in 1962 and engraved five of his drawings on the loggia walls over the course of that year Several parts of the property are now classified as historic monuments traditional-meets-rustic interiors are by noted American decorator Dick Dumas There are several drawing rooms with slatted beamed ceilings and views of the gardens plus two dining rooms—one bears a fresco done in 1977 by Iraqi painter Naman Hadi a large oval colonnade and fountains mark the entrance from the main road Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker France — An elegant reception is in full swing as Mark Ungashick arrives at the inner courtyard of the Duchy D'Uzes a 12th century castle near France's Rhone River The retired business owner and his companions from the Tauck river ship Emerald already have explored the fortress's Renaissance-era apartments which still are used by the descendants of the French dukes who built them Now they'll kick back with a glass of wine and hors d'oeuvres as violinists and a guitar player perform in the background the Duchy D'Uzes is their own private citadel pausing to talk before a private dinner on the castle grounds "Special events such as this is why we chose Tauck." Long known for its upscale land tours in France and elsewhere in Europe New England-based Tauck in recent years has been carving out a position at the top of high-end river cruising in the country with more intimate exclusive and all-inclusive voyages than those offered by other companies.  In addition to private events such as the evening at the Duchy D'Uzes sailings on the Rhone-based Emerald and a sister ship on the Seine feature upscale cuisine spacious accommodations and highly choreographed excursions that often include special touches.  Starting with a two-night hotel stay in Paris followed by seven nights sailing the Rhone on Emerald this "French Waterways" trip includes a tour of Lyon that ends with a private wine and cheese tasting at the city's iconic food market passengers follow a visit to an 800-year-old cathedral with a stop at a local club for a game of petanque — a French version of bocce that involves flinging hollow steel balls at a small wooden target We're getting under the surface," says Marilyn Bennett as she watches fellow Emerald passengers tossing petanque balls with club members "Something like this really makes you feel like you're experiencing the local culture."  Among the unusual aspects of a Tauck sailing is the presence of three full-time tour directors in addition to the cruise director who serve as always-present guides Most lines only staff vessels with a single cruise director Tauck contracts with local guides to lead tours during most port stops But the tour directors also accompany passengers on outings backing up the local guides and assuring a seamless — and classy — experience one of the directors interrupts the local guides to buy everyone a drink at the club bar After a visit to the hill-top village of Roussillon another director stops to get everyone a locally made artisanal chocolate While Tauck is relatively new to river cruising in France (it only has offered Rhone and Seine trips since 2011 and 2014 the company has operated land tours in the country for decades and it's tapping its long-established connections with top local guides attractions and restaurants to design unusual cruise itineraries the Tauck directors take passengers to Chateau de la Chaize perhaps the best known wine estate in the nearby Beaujolais region During a stop at the vineyard-lined riverfront town of Tain L'Hermitage a local tour is followed by a cooking lesson at a nearby school run by a Michelin three-star chef medieval wall-lined city that was home to a succession of popes during the great Catholic schism of the 14th century Passengers tour the fortress-like Palais de Papes and view the remains of the famed Pont d'Avignon they head out to a third UNESCO-listed treasure three-level Pont du Gard aqueduct bridge.  with most rooms measuring 225 to 300 square feet That's as much as 50% bigger than the typical cabin on other river ships A key factor in the Tauck difference is that the company configures its vessels for fewer passengers than other brands that operate ships of the same size while maintaining similar staffing levels. Originally launched in 2006, the 361-foot-long Emerald recently underwent a massive makeover that cut its passenger count from 118 to just 98 Other lines operating ships of the same length on French rivers pack in as many as 30 to 50 more people The result is a higher crew-to-passenger ratio that Tauck veterans say brings more attentive service "The staff is unbelievable," says Jim Sheppard "Anytime you ask them for something on board it gets done."  Stopping to chat during a small-group "shopping with the chef" outing to a market in Avignon Sheppard nods to several staffers who have come along as helpers They're out here today sharing this experience with us," he notes the market trip and all other excursions during the voyage are included in the fare which isn't always the case with river cruises Tauck also includes unlimited complimentary beverages in its fares beer and even premium spirits are available for no extra charge at any time Many other river cruise operators only offer complimentary wine and beer with lunch and dinner gratuities on Tauck as well as airport transfers are included in fares that the line doesn't even bother to swipe credit cards when passengers arrive All of the extra perks and all-inclusiveness come at a price Fares for Tauck's Rhone trips start at more than $500 per person per day — notably higher than the Rhone itineraries offered by many of its rivals Similar 10-night trips from Avalon Waterways start at around $325 per day while Viking River Cruises offers seven-night Rhone sailings starting for as little as $286 per day "We're already planning to do another one with Tauck," says Hal Pelhke a 78-year-old retired banker from Chicago who is here with his wife.  Pelhke says he's tried one of the lesser-priced river lines "We're going to do as much of this as we can combine seven nights of sailing the Rhone on the 98-passenger Emerald with two nights at a hotel in Paris including almost all meals; tours; airport transfers; unlimited on-board drinks throughout the day including wine Tauck also offers longer "French Escapade" tours that combine a nine-night sailing on the Rhone with two nights at a hotel in Monte Carlo and two nights at a hotel in Paris Other Tauck river itineraries include sailings of seven nights or longer on the Rhine often paired with several days of overland touring and hotel stays Tauck also offers voyages on the Seine river in France that are paired with a hotel stay in Paris Information: 800-788-7885; tauck.com PEOPLE confirms that Jean-Louis Trintignant who starred in 2012's Oscar-winning film Amour Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Jean-Louis Trintignant (born December 11, 1930, Piolenc, France—died June 17, 2022, Uzès, France) was a French motion-picture actor who achieved a wide range of characterizations with great economy. and Un Homme est morte (1973; The Outside Man) He also appeared in several films directed by his second wife including L’Été prochain (1985; Next Summer) and the television movie L’Insoumise (1996; “The Unsubdued”) In the 21st century Trintignant starred in Janis et John (2003; Janis and John), Immortel (2004; Immortal), Michael Haneke’s Amour (2012) and Happy End (2017), and Lelouch’s Les Plus Belles Années d’une vie (2019; The Best Years of a Life) Thank you!We have emailed you a PDF version of the article you requested You can also addnewsletters@iflscience.comto your safe senders list to ensure you never miss a message from us IFLScience HomeA Lost Roman City Has Been Discovered in Southern FranceComplete the form below to listen to the audio version of this article IFLScience needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, check out ourPrivacy Policy IFLScience HomeJoin for Exclusive FacebookemailTom is a writer in London with a Master's degree in Journalism whose editorial work covers anything from health and the environment to technology and archaeology. FacebookemailDOWNLOAD PDF VERSION An archaeologist cleans away one of the mosaics on site For the first time in over a thousand years archeologists have laid eyes on the ancient Roman town of Ucetia which is decked out with some surprisingly well-preserved mosaics The discovery by the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) was made near modern-day Uzès in the south of France during the construction of a school The 4,000-square-meter (43,056-square-foot) site contains artifacts ranging from the Roman Republic era (1st century BCE) to the late antiquity (7th century) The town’s existence was first hinted at when researchers found an inscription saying Ucetia on a stone slab in nearby Nîmes A few isolated fragments and mosaic pieces suggested the site of the mysterious Roman town but it remained hidden until INRAP started to dig beneath the surface “Prior to our work, we knew that there had been a Roman city called Ucetia only because its name was mentioned on stela [inscripted stone slab] in Nimes, alongside 11 other names of Roman towns in the area,” Philippe Cayn of INRAP told IBTimes One of the main findings was a 250-square-meter (2,690-square-foot) area that the researchers believe was a public building based on the fact it was once lined with grand columns This building also features two large multi-colored mosaics with patterns Preliminary research says this building stood strong until the end of the 1st century CE Cayn added: "This kind of elaborate mosaic pavement is often found in the Roman world in the 1st and 2nd centuries Another important discovery was a 500-square-meter (5,381-square-foot) urban dwelling which contains mosaic decorations of geometrical patterns and dolphins This building also contains several large dolia The archeologists believe there is still a lot of work to do and hope to continue their research on the site over the coming years The site will be part of a peer-reviewed study once all the necessary groundwork is done and dusted T. Rex Leather, Glow-In-The-Dark Gas Clouds, And Musical Sea Lionslink to article The Five Most Common Headacheslink to article © 2025 IFLScience. All Rights Reserved. RSS Homes & Property | Luxury renting and decorating in London from our award-winning experts I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice A magnificent seven-bedroom French château with five floor-to-ceiling Picasso murals engraved onto one of the terrace walls has been listed for sale near Uzès in the south of France Legendary 20th-century British art historian and collector bought Château de Castille in 1950 and frequently hosted his friend Pablo Picasso at the castle In fact, Picasso was so taken with the property he tried to buy it several times but Cooper – an early collector and scholar of Cubist art – refused Cooper had admired a series of Picasso drawings which had been engraved in concrete at the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos in Barcelona Picasso told Cooper to give him a wall and designed the series of five drawings that would be engraved on the eastern veranda in 1963 by the same artist Norwegian painter and sculptor – and frequent Picasso collaborator – Carl Nesjar The drawings depict scenes inspired by two famous historical artworks – David’s The Rape of the Sabine Women and Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe by Manet Given that a Picasso painting sold for $179m in 2015 the murals’ inclusion in the sale could be seen as quite the added value The castle was built on the 13th-century foundations of a fortress by Gabriel Joseph de Froment filled his new castle with columns towards the end of the 18th century despite being arrested during the Terror and was welcomed back by villagers who back-paid rent owed during his imprisonment after he was released The current owner has added to the opulent eclectic décor with interiors by American designer Dick Dumas There are seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms in the château two dining rooms – one decorated with a 690sq ft fresco of the Arabian Nights by Iraqi painter Naman Hadi for the 1977 wedding of the owner’s daughter – and a kitchen on each floor allowing the storeys to function independently of each other The building is set in almost five acres of grounds which include a historic park with a tree-lined drive The property is on the market for 8.9 million euros with Sotheby’s International Realty Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in London 'shut down' by council over noise complaints David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash 'shut down' over noise complaints Archaeologists have unearthed part of an ancient Roman city in southern France and this is the first time that some of its impressive features have come to light The excavations began in October 2016 at the request of the French state, after local authorities bought land near the modern-day city of Uzes (near Nimes) to build a boarding school and a canteen. A team led by Philippe Cayn from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) excavated the 4,000m sq site to make sure construction works wouldn't destroy any major artefacts the researchers shed a light on the mysterious past of the Roman city of Ucetia we knew that there had been a Roman city called Ucetia only because its name was mentioned on stela in Nimes alongside 11 other names of Roman towns in the area No artefacts had been recovered except for a few isolated fragments of mosaic" The archaeologists found that the site had been occupied from the 1st century BC to the late Antiquity (7th century AD) with an interruption in the 3rd and 4th century They also identified building remains from the Middle Ages The team discovered a large wall and many structures dating to just before the Roman conquest and later replaced with a dolium – an enormous ceramic container These structures would have stood inside the walls the ancient city of Utecia The complex network of communication routes and the organisation of the buildings suggest this was the centre of the Roman town and not another However, the most stunning find to date is that of a complex mosaic pavement inside a large 250m sq building with a colonnade It dates back to the early stages of the area's urbanisation – the building is thought to have been used until the end of the 1st century AD The archaeologists have identified two large mosaics decorated with traditional geometric motifs framing two central medallions composed of crowns One of the medallions is surrounded by polychrome animals – an owl "This mosaic is very impressive because of its large size its good state of conservation and the motifs which combine classical geometric shapes and with animals This kind of elaborate mosaic pavement is often found in the Roman world in the 1st and 2nd centuries What kind of building the mosaics were found in is still unclear. The colonnade points to the fact it was probably a public building. However, the archaeologists have not yet discarded the hypothesis that the mosaic pavement formed part of a private home not that many people would have been able to live in such a large building But it's possible that the owner of these mosaics was quite rich He probably would have had them placed in a reception room to impress visitors and show the extent of his wealth" The excavations will continue at the site until August 2017 2013The exuberant dining room of French interior decorator Didier Rabes featured in The Art of the Interior: Timeless Designs by the Master Decorators Photo: René StoeltieSave this storySaveSave this storySaveThe Art of the Interior: Timeless Designs by the Master Decorators (Flammarion a new book from prolific design author Barbara Stoeltie and photographer René Stoeltie (her husband and longtime collaborator) beautifully documents the era-defining decorators and the memorable—though occasionally controversial—trends of the past four centuries of interior design seductive photographs prove that details like ornate upholstery but a well-executed room transcends any fad Lavishly embellished spaces created for 17th-century royals still evoke awe and admiration A Louis XIII sofa is surrounded by the Duchess of Uzès’s hunting trophies in the salon of her château Photo: René StoeltieStrong personalities often inspire the most interesting interiors and the volume features several extraordinary examples was decorated in the late 19th century and is adorned with approximately two thousand sets of antlers dominates the home’s walls and coffered ceilings Silver-leaf doors lead into a petite study at Germany’s Charlottenhof Palace which was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel a disciple of Robert Adam and Friedrich von Erdmannsdorf Photo: René StoeltieFamous spaces such as Bill Willis’s interpreted Orientalism in Marrakech and classic bright American interiors by Billy Baldwin exemplify John Saladino’s declaration in the book’s foreword: “Interior design when undertaken by people with great talent This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Subscribe and save up to 29% on a magazine subscription if you find yourself in the small town of Uzès If you’re not entranced by its impressive history then you’ll love its bohemian spirit lush countryside and mouth-watering fresh local produce Peta Mathias fell in love with all of this 12 years ago when visiting a friend – and she’s been there on and off ever since agony aunt and self-styled “gastronomad” loves her adopted home town – and France – so much that although she wasn’t born in the wrong body she was definitely born in the wrong place ‘I was born in the wrong country.’ you are so dramatic!’” she grins looking out of the green shutters of her rented town house into the blazing hot afternoon sun I can see why you said that now.’” “When I first moved to Paris in 1979 I wrote a long letter to my parents saying ‘I was born in the wrong country!'” Fast forward more than three decades and she means it more than ever Peta is now in the process of building a house there complete with an impressive industrial kitchen where she plans on teaching visitors to cook the local Languedoc classics Uzès is Peta’s refuge – her sanctuary dances and laughs away three or four months of the year here Among the famous “Uzès green” (sage green) doors the biscuit-coloured walls and cobbled streets Peta hits the markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays buying whatever is in season The bustling market square is crammed to the hilt with eggs tapenades and all things consumable and tasty beef tomatoes the size of your head and olive oil in every form with her trademark bright shock of red hair and psychedelic Eastern tunic she wears With her today are two of her favourite stallholders – Sister Ambrosia and Annie the cheese lady “Annie gives the best hugs in Uzès,” smiles Peta “I taught her to say ‘Have a nice day.’ She say zis everytime she see somewern,” Peta laughs as she adopts a comedic French accent Sister Ambrosia is one of Peta’s favourite stallholders in the market and now a good friend Sister Ambrosia is world famous in New Zealand Culinary Adventures in the South of France “People recognise her and come up to her a lot,” says Peta proudly as Sister Ambrosia diligently tends to her stall which is laden with home-made wine and an array of fruit jams made at her monastery Our final stop in the Uzès market tour is to drop by the handsome fish seller – “but God Men are one of Peta’s favourite topics – whether it’s gossiping about them with girlfriends in local cafés as in her 2009 book Just in Time to Be Too Late She admits that just because she’s been around the block She’s been in love many times with men she didn’t marry Peta loves to drop into the gorgeous Uzès Cathedral when she visits the market Peta only married him to get French residency when the disease was at its peak in the ‘80s “It was terribly sad,” she recalls “I spoke to his brother after he had died He had gone through all of Alexis’ things And he had found this poem – a love poem to a red-haired woman It was basically saying that he wished he could have been in love with me.” she says that she’s given up the chase – even though her last lover was 35 “It’s an awful thing to say… ” she muses “but I really don’t find middle-aged men attractive “I reached my midlife crisis at 27 – I realised I was no longer young I’ve had a bikini wax a few times and it felt fabulous but I can’t be bothered any more.” “It puts your eyebrows where God intended them to be and not where nature has mistakenly left them “But I don’t really care about ageing,” she adds “I’ve earned these lines – every one of them “If an attractive man sat next to me on the plane I don’t talk to people… I’m kind of what psychiatrists call a sociable loner I’ve had a husband… and other people’s husbands,” she winks “I’m so busy with other things “Maybe I should become a lesbian,” she sighs I’m sure it would be easier – I’d have loads of lovers But I’m perversely heterosexual.” Shopping at the market is a must every Wednesday and Saturday where Peta can purchase all her wares fresh Mostly Peta prefers to gawp at male perfection from afar – whether it’s the handsome fish seller or the toreador from a recent bullfight She’s showing pictures of him on her camera screen during lunch at Bettino “Isn’t he divine?” she smiles “Exquisite.” Bullfighting – or watching it at least – is one of her passions and a firm cultural divider among her friends “It’s so sexy and exciting,” she grins “The New Zealanders and English are horrified by it Her friends in Uzès are a mix of expats and French a straight-talking Swiss-Italian architect who lives round the corner “The first time I went to a bullfight I thought it was the most dreadful thing I’d seen in my life,” she admits The only reason the toreador wins is because he has a better brain and can outsmart the bull People say it’s really unfair but you’ve got to remember how dangerous this animal is – and that it’s had a great life until the moment it’s sent to the arena.” Peta is in her element standing in the cobbled streets of her second home I can’t talk about it without sounding terrible but I love it – and I don’t know why I love it You get all that great Spanish music and carry on and oom-pah-pah There’s a lot of religion and superstition – stuff that goes on around it “You have to be incredibly skilled to be a toreador – it’s a beautiful thing to watch if you understand the moves and what the bullfighter is trying to achieve.” Peta will get up and have a cup of tea – her favourites are Darjeeling or Lapsang souchong when she’ll whip up “something simple – a baguette with some cured ham and local Pélardon goat cheese” She also scouts out foreign locations for cooking tours – with India Vietnam and Italy all getting the seal of approval for what she terms “week-long dinner parties” Peta poses in front of one of Uzès’ famous green doors she’ll come back to New Zealand – she rents a house in Auckland for six months of the year “It’s like coming back to paradise,” she enthuses “It’s the most beautiful country in the world because it ain’t like that in Europe.” it’s a chance to catch up with her Sydney-based parents and five younger siblings We get along well and enjoy each other’s company.” “She thinks I’ve got the most unenviable life imaginable She would rather die than be me!” she laughs “I believe in living completely in the present – I hardly ever talk about the past or the future and I don’t even have a retirement plan Peta and her neighbour Gina enjoying a glass of wine and a gossip “It’s hard to believe that we were all brought up by the same two people because we are so different And we wouldn’t be friends if we weren’t related The closest they got to a family row was when Peta got a tattoo at the age of 60 – a rose on her shoulder with La Vie En Rose – one of the most famous songs from her idol Edith Piaf “I was writing about tattoos for a chapter in my book Beat Till Stiff and became so fascinated that I decided I would have to get one I screamed and cried through the whole thing And then we had a stiff drink to recover.” When she finally confessed it to her mother the 90-something had a surprise of her own ‘There’s something I have to tell you…’ That [her] beautiful blue beauty spot was actually a tattoo she’d had done when she was in the Australian Navy when she was about 18 Not even my father knew.” Peta is interrupted by the mouth-watering smell of osso bucco – the restaurant’s signature veal dish though the rabbit is a close second.” “Even though I stick out like a sore thumb here what I love is that I can have a private life “But it’s not a bad thing in life to screw up.” Peta’s top five things to do in Uzès You never know what you might find – a horse and carriage Visit the cathedral and the market in the town on a Wednesday or Saturday Dine al fresco at my favourite restaurants – Le Terroir and Bettino as Uzès is the production site for Gummi Bears its cheaper sister across the street (rooms from $175 which has gone from cowboy town to cosmopolitan cool (doubles from €59) a budget hotel that opened in the former HQ of France's national gas company last October In the northern docklands, old warehouses are being recast. Les Tontons (from €10 for two courses) in the cavernous former dock offices serves up to 500 people a chic take on canteen-style food. Just over the Bacalan Bridge is Le Garage Modern car repair shop by day and performance venue by night But everything leads back to wine. The CAPC Musée D'Art Contemporain de Bordeaux is in an old wine warehouse on the harbour and just five minutes from Wine & Soul (23 rue du Couvent) In the first journey of its kind, the Danube Express train will travel across Iran for 15 days in October (from £8,695pp) demand is such that new dates for 2015 have already been added the Zagros mountains and the Bavanat valley including half-board accommodation and Eurostar travel A beach on Itaparica island in the Baia de Todos os Santos, Bahia, Brazil. Photograph: Alex Robinson/GettyBe prepared for Brazil to take over your living room this year: images of Sugarloaf and Cristo will be everywhere in the build-up to the World Cup. But Brazil's real magic is in the jungles and beaches of its 8,000km coastline. Website Hidden Pousadas Brazil showcases small pousadas The Artisan restaurant in Paso RoblesNapa and Sonoma wine-tasting rooms can get crammed with cheesy honeymooners but Paso Robles attracts an earthier oenophile – which isn't to say that the wine's not excellent Paso is slowly transforming into one of America's foodiest little towns "You can feel the energy," says Steve Heimof of Wine Enthusiast Magazine which recently named Paso Robles wine region of the year "Over the past two years these winemakers have been making crazy It would be hard to do that in Napa: it's so traditional there." Since 2000, the number of wineries has quadrupled to 200 (sample top zinfandels and red blends at Dusi Vineyard or Epoch Wines , and while it seems a new chef moves in from LA or San Francisco every few months, an "old" favourite restaurant (circa 2006) is Artisan famous for decadent lamb-leg dip and Cuban sandwiches "It's been exploding – for good and ill," says Jon Bonné, wine editor for the San Francisco Chronicle "There's more tourist infrastructure – restaurants places aimed at visitors who might not have appreciated Big Bubba's Bad to the Bone BBQ." which offers a 17-day Yunnan Adventure from £2,690pp including flights while the eighth district – previously a no-go zone – continues to flourish Casa particulares are changing too: kitsch homestays being superseded by stylish homes such as beautiful Finca Kenia in Trinidad – a great spot to enjoy this year's 500th anniversary celebrations "Now is a brilliant time to visit," says Charles Tyler of Miraviva really good food and new experiences." Some burn everything off by hiking the 5.6-mile Mount Tremper trail; others prefer browsing vintage dresses and vinyl at The Mystery Spot in Phoenicia. On the drive back to the city, you'll soon be able to stop at the Marina Abramovic Institute where the revered performance artist is creating a cultural spa Island hopping in Essex? The idea may never have crossed your mind but there are great little spots out in the Blackwater estuary. Osea the private island a few miles from Maldon where the rich and famous party is hosting several special events this year: kids' camps Although a restaurant for daytrippers has been rumoured only overnight guests are currently allowed to cross Osea's exclusive causeway (cottages for two from £295 for two nights) a floating cabin sleeping four near Maldon from £195 a night While it is predominantly visitors from other African countries who are drawn by Nollywood the steady attention Nigerian films are getting in America and the UK means more international visitors will want to visit its heartland "Nollywood has become a worldwide phenomenon," says Lagos- based artist Emeka Ogboh. "People are curious to see the space it depicts." People are coming to feel the city's vibes and energy." Arkansas isn't the type of place that figures too often on travel bucket lists. And Dyess, Arkansas (population 500) probably never has. But that is set to change this year with the opening of Johnny Cash's boyhood home as a museum (http://dyesscash.astate.edu) The single-storey wooden farmstead is being returned to its original state as part of a $10m tourist project designed to get the town back on its feet – echoing the fresh start Cash's parents got when they were given the farm in the 1930s as part of President Franklin D Roosevelt's New Deal The house is the centrepiece of a restoration project that aims to tell the history of the purpose-built Depression-era town and the hope is that some of the 600,000 people who visit Graceland will drive a further 50 miles north from Memphis to the Man in Black's museum Cash's surviving brother and sister have ensured that all the furnishings – upright piano Silvertone tabletop radio – are authentic and accurate With the government pouring money into infrastructure – construction has started on a new airport near capital Ulan Bator – tourism is set to play an even greater role in the country's economy That's not to say the place is about to get crowded - this is still one of the last untamed destinations in the world and Sheffield boasting more artists than London But the super-rich don't have it all to themselves. New to boutique accommodation website i-escape this year is Locanda Rossa (doubles from €120 B&B) in Capalbi a buzzing waterside microbrewery and restaurant in the city If your image of Glasgow is all rusting shipyards and deep-fried confectionery 2014 would be a good time to rediscover Scotland's largest city as it welcomes the world during perhaps the biggest year in its history That Glasgow is a fast-growing city-break destination is impressive: it did not even have a tourist office until the 1980s European City of Culture status kickstarted the regeneration the UK City of Architecture and Design award had a similar effect It will open this spring with 99 rooms and an enormous spa/bathing area inside a listed Georgian building Founder Erchen Chang says her top tip is to visit the city of Tainan in southern Taiwan: "It's the true capital of street food – and definitely not made for tourists." From oyster omelettes in Taipei's night markets to tea in a Maokong plantation, Taiwan is a fascinating place to eat and drink your way around. For year-round food tours, see taiwanfoodadventure.com, or learn to make the dishes yourself with a cookery lesson at Jodie's Kitchen A new home for this ambitious project by the socialite art collector and girlfriend of Roman Abramovich is still under construction in Gorky Park on the site of a ruined Soviet-era restaurant but there are already plans to stage fairs and shows that will attract both artists and visitors from around the world Interested Brits should be aware that Moscow is not your typical budget airline city break: it's a four-hour flight, and you need to brave the Kafkaesque business of applying for a Russian visa. But easyJet's new routes to Moscow from Manchester and Gatwick which will launch this spring (with flights from the UK sure to follow if it's successful) mean the travelling classes will be arriving soon Beyond the town's shabby (but improving) seafront, a grassroots arts scene has bubbled into a fully-fledged movement. Buoyed by the renaissance of nearby Hastings and Margate, the work of its artisans is now celebrated in the Folkestone Triennial returns for a third time from 30 August-2 November Works will be shown in public spaces such as the Creative Quarter and a picturesque symbol of the town's changing mood Last Updated on 29th April 2024 by Sophie Nadeau and boasting countless cobbled lanes: the city of Uzès is a must-see on any trip to Southern France Famed for its Middle Ages Bell Tower and picture perfect market square visitors can’t go wrong by dedicating at least a few hours to exploring the local area Here’s your guide to the best things to do in Uzès Uzès began life as a fortified Roman oppidum and was founded as early as the 2nd Century BCE there was another settlement by the name of Ucetia which was all but lost and forgotten to the annals of time and was only rediscovered recently From the day 8th-century, town was a bishopric under the Archbishop of Narbonne. During the Middle Ages the town’s strategic position meant that it was important in the trades of silk It was at this time that the town’s wealth grew and many medieval buildings can still be spied around Uzès to this day One particular curiosity of the town is that there has been a Duke since 1088 when there was the first attestation of f seigneur d’Uzès There’s still a Duke of the town to this day and a flag is raised to full mast outside of his residence The little town of Uzès, population 8500, is located in the department of Gard in Occitania. Located just West to the region of Provence, nearby towns of note include Nîmes (famed for its well-preserved Roman monuments) and Avignon (famed for its crumbling bridge that inspired a popular French nursery rhyme) The settlement is also situated close to the Pont du Gard a 1st-Century CE Roman aqueduct that is still almost perfectly preserved to this day And while Uzès may not technically be in Provence and buttery stone architecture that is all too common in the region Since the historic centre of Uzès is pretty small and all of the attractions are grouped fairly close to one another meaning that you can walk between each of them you only really need an afternoon to discover everything around town We personally went for lunch and then spent a couple of others meandering the streets and admiring the historical attractions. I loved all of the little galleries scattered across town and even bought a small oil pastel of the lavender fields to bring home with me as a souvenir one of the simplest charms of Uzès is to sit in one of the many (albeit it a little touristic) cafés on the central square of Place aux Herbes and watch the world go by We personally enjoyed a lunch at Les Terroirs – Restaurant Uzès and found that they had several vegetarian and vegan options on the menu several sides of the square are lined with covered arcades that provide a welcome respite from the hot summer sun A market is held in the square every Wednesday morning and all day on Saturday There are several unique shops on the fringes of the central square including a rather delightful bookshop by the name of Librairie de la place aux herbes much of the city centre is pedestrianised and you can’t drive a car through the little cobbled lanes Be sure to wear comfortable footwear and avoid high heels as they don’t mix well with cobblestones You can pick up a free map in the tourist office (16 Pl 30700 Uzès) which will give you a suggested walking route of the town simply stroll around and soak up the architectural marvels that the town can reveal to you You won’t easily lose track of where you are as there is a large boulevard which loops its way around the historic city centre Highlights you should be sure to watch out for when wandering around the town include the 18th-century town hall and the old mint (Ancien Hôtel des Monnaies) the best thing to do in Uzès is to head to the medieval gardens The medieval garden is located just below a Benedictine Abbey which dates back to the 10th-century and the garden was actually only created in 2015 As well as a beautiful garden which is laid out in a medieval style and is best-viewed in the early summer the grounds are flanked by the 12th century Tour de l’Evèque and the 13th century Tour du Roi Tour de l’Evèque was actually used as a prison during the Middle Ages and visitors can still see centuries old grafitti from those who were once incarcerated within its walls Visitors who climb to the very top of the Tour de Roi will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the town and beyond Standing tall and proud over the rest of the city the Duke’s Castle dates back to early medieval times and has been the seat of the Duke of Uzès since the 11th-century the interior has been decorated with period furniture the Duke’s castle can still be visited Uzès principal place of worship can be found in the form of a Cathedral dedicated to Saint Théodorit There has been a cathedral on site since 1090 though that which can be seen today was constructed during the 17th-century Though not actually located within the confines of Uzès itself one particular nearby attraction of note mentions a merit in of itself The Pont du Gard is located around a twenty minute drive from the city and is the top visited Roman monument in France The tourist office is housed against the backdrop of the chapel of Capucin Friars which was built in 1635 on the former site of a Roman place of worship dedicated to Augustus The best time to visit Uzès is from May until late September when the weather is at its best and everything is actually open Thanks to its laidback nature and beautiful ambiance Uzès makes for a great place to stay for a couple of nights for those looking to soak up the good life in France Here are some of the top places to stay in Uzès based on location and web-reviews: Budget- Hôtel la Taverne: This no-frills hotel with a restaurant and annex offers low-cost accommodation right in the heart of the city. This establishment is also pet friendly. Check prices and availability here. Mid-range- La Maison Rouge: Boasting a pool and breakfast included, this B&B is located on the fringes of town and is set against the backdrop of a building from the 19th-century. Check prices and availability here. Luxury- La Maison D’Uzès: For the crème de la crème of a stat in Uzès, you need to look no further than this five-star accommodation. Highlights include a restaurant and bar onsite, as well as rooms and suites feature free WiFi, flat-screen TVs, iPads and minibars. Check prices and availability here. Enjoyed reading about the best things to do in Uzès Sophie Nadeau is a full time travel writer and photographer focused on cultural experiences in Europe and beyond When she's not chasing after the sunset (or cute dogs she sees on her travels) she can be found reading and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. I started this site back in 2015 with one mission in mind: I wanted to create useful travel guides with a historical and cultural focus Today it has blossomed into my full time job and together with a small team of writers (including my husband and sister) we craft articles to help you travel better throughout Europe © 2015- 2025 Sophie Nadeau. Nadeau Pasquier LTD. 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