www.womanthismonth.com 59 March 2013 | The Low-down: This region was one of the earliest to be inhabited by humans and, located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, was an extremely important trade route and passage. The Roman history of Languedoc-Roussillon is long and has left some spectacular traces. The names of towns, the Catalan language, the region’s heady wines and olive-oil dishes all testify to the lasting influence of 400 years of occupation. X-Factor: Lodeve is a delightful town to explore. Cathedrale St-Fulcrane, one of the more restrained interiors in this area, is a church which owes much to the upheavals and destructions of the revolution. Pont de Montifort is a lovely Gothic arch bridge built in the 14th century. The museum, Musée Fleury, is housed in the Fleury family mansion, a nationally known and major family of Lodeve. It was built in the 16th and 17th century and is a beautiful and impressive building. Built in 1819, the Hotel Darde has become a museum of the works of local sculptor Paul Dardé as the title gives away. Visit the Atelier to see first hand how carpets were created for the great homes of Paris. Well worth the drive out of Lodeve, St-Michel de Grandmont Priory is a place of mystery and spiritual light. Here’s the muse you will need for a remarkable painting. Best For: Historians. Languedoc-Roussillon is also a region where the “Cathars”, named after the Greek “katharos” or “pure”, fought the Catholic church of the time in the 13th century. It took many decades to exterminate this movement whose followers believed the visible world to be the work of the devil. Nowadays, many impressive fortresses perched on dizzying heights and the ancient villages still bear witness to a lost religion. Languedoc, France The Low-down: I know you’re thinking, “Oh not this place again.” Nevertheless, Italy is a country that continues to surprise its guests, offering unique experiences in every visit. Major factors contributing to that is its natural beauty, rich culture, varying lifestyles in each region, amazing cuisine and of course its exquisite landscapes. You don’t find many places on this planet where art and life intermingles so effortlessly. There is just so much to take in that if you put 100 artists through the same experience, there still wouldn’t be two paintings that are alike. The key is to slow down from the touristy pace and let in the ethnicity of this phenomenal nation. X-Factor: It doesn’t matter if you’ve been there already. Head over to Tuscany and have a go at their week-long painting courses set in a charming and elegant 17th century palazzo, lovingly conserved to maintain its aristocratic finesse. Be motivated by the outstanding Tuscan landscapes and medieval village of Tavernelle. Expect great food and wine too. If you want to be somewhere less crowded, throw yourself into the pretty town of Camerino, where you will be moved by the architecture, impressive landscape, rivers and culture. Best For: Fitness fanatics. Combine relaxing yoga with painting lessons on a unique yoga and watercolour painting holiday a little north of Rome. Stay in a conventional village house in the pretty-walled village of Casperia and paint the beauty of the surrounding Sabina hills. Just because you’re on holiday, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on a healthy lifestyle. Italy
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