Cultural projects in the news

A number of major French cultural projects are making headlines this summer and beyond.  Here are five places and events that every Culture Vulture should know about:

Musée National Picasso-Paris

Reopened in October last year after a 5-year refurbishment, the Picasso-Paris National Museum celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with the exhibition Picasso! from 25 September to 5 January 2016.  Discover all the artist's creative processes, his life as a public figure, and his relationships with family and friends.  More than 500 works and archive documents will be on display at Picasso-Paris in the sumptuous 17th century surroundings of the Hôtel Salé in the Marais district, home to the largest collection of his work.   www.museepicassoparis.fr

Villa Cavrois, Croix

No Art Deco or design fan will want to miss Villa Cavrois in Croix near Lille, Nord-Pas de Calais.  Designed in 1929 and finished in 1932, this unique property was created as a family home for textile industrialist Paul Cavrois by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens.  Very high-tech for its time, it was finished with luxury materials and stood in a landscaped park, but fell into disrepair after being sold by Mme Cavrois in 1986.  Bought by the State in 2001, Villa Cavrois has been painstakingly restored by Monuments Nationaux, opening to the public in June this year.   http://villa-cavrois.monuments-nationaux.fr    

Art Centre of the Hôtel de Caumont, Aix en Provence

Hot cultural address just off the shady Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence is the new Art Centre at Hôtel de Caumont, a glorious 18th century property which has been fully refurbished and given a new lease of life by Culturespaces.  The new cultural institution will stage two major Fine Arts exhibitions each year dedicated to the world's greatest masters and with support from international museums such as Britain's Royal Collection and the National Gallery of London.  The inaugural exhibition, Canaletto – Rome, London, Venice, includes scenes of the Thames and the British countryside (until 13 Sept) www.caumont-centredart.com

Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay

Enjoy 28 concerts of vocal music across four summer days during the Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay in Burgundy, classified as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France.  One of the key starting points for pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostela, Vézelay and its Basilica are also UNESCO World Heritage sites.  Ensembles from all over Europe will perform sacred music each evening in the Basilica, with afternoon concerts taking place in village churches.  Expect beautiful music in magical settings plus a daily parade and programme of family-friendly events – 20-23 August.  www.rencontresmusicalesdevezelay.com   France Festivals www.francefestivals.com/en/

International Centre for Cave Art, Lascaux

Make a date in your diary for summer 2016 to see the latest addition to Lascaux II, the amazing replica of Lascaux cave that opened in 1983 as the only way to preserve the cave paintings of the original. Lascaux II contained replicas of around 80% of these spine-tingling frescoes – awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO – but all the frescoes will soon be reproduced in the brand new International Centre for Cave Art created by British exhibition designers Casson Mann.  Prehistoric art showcased with 21st century digital technology!  www.projet-lascaux.com