Giverny

There are always places in the world where you immediately feel at home. It's like stepping onto a piece of earth that vibrates in unison with your inner self - the inner and outer world suddenly become congruent and we feel a kind of arrival. Such a place is Giverny. Even though tens of thousands of people pass through this small town every year, it retains its grace and peace. Monet's garden seems to be everywhere here - indeed seems to have conquered it in a quiet and loving way over the last century. This is reflected everywhere in beautiful gardens, park-like meadows and picturesque walls and houses. Time has stood still here in a positive way and the place has retained its originality. If Claude Monet were to walk through the village today, he would certainly be surprised and delighted. He would probably be tempted to paint new motifs outside of his property. The people who come here are lovers of art, garden and beauty. They come from all over the world, especially America, Japan and of course France. Luckily, you won't find the negative side effects of tourism here. It is a more meditative, quiet and joyful tourism that focuses entirely on Claude Monet, Impressionism and the beauty of nature. One indulges in the pleasure of just looking and admiring, one paints or photographs. There are wonderful options for staying the night here, with apartments or rooms overlooking parks and gardens, but booking well in advance is a must. This also applies to a lunch or dinner in the old Hotel-Restaurant Baudy, where in Monet's time artists admiring him would come to paint in the midst of nature according to his model and to inspire one another.

When Monet discovered this small town, he must have been inspired not only by the light, which was so important to his work, but also by the rural beauty and tranquility. He probably saw the possibilities of this wonderful place in his mind's eye and even if he didn't know anything about the approaching success at the time, he must have already sensed the potential. In the beginning, the inhabitants of the place were certainly not always enthusiastic about his way of life, but in the long run the place was of great economic benefit. Today, after Monet's death, it has become a great love because the place now resonates with Monet's spirit, his love of nature, light and flowers. Monet's work is indelibly linked to Giverny, its light and its garden. He created his own motifs here and could use any light at any time, but also design nature according to his vision and needs.

Givernys History
Giverny is first mentioned as a wine-growing region in the 7th century. In 863, King Charlemagne granted Giverny to the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Denis-le-Ferment. In the eleventh century, the fief and church of Giverny returned to the Abbey of Saint-Ouen in Rouen. In the Middle Ages, several lords succeeded one another, but they remained vassals of the Prior of Saint-Ouen. In the course of the French Revolution, Giverny finally received the status of a municipality and subsequently in 1801 the right to municipal self-government. During the Revolution, it was the Le Lorier family that owned the land of Giverny. Mr. Le Lorier was also the first mayor of the village in 1791. In 1883 Claude Monet settled in the village, in a house that he rented in 1890 and later bought. It changes shape and completely rebuilds a flower garden. In 1893 he will dig the water lily pond on a branch of the Epte, on the edge of which he will paint the "Nymphéas". He died on December 5, 1926 in the cemetery next to the church. At the same time, several painters, mainly Americans (e.g. Mary Fairchild), settled in the village. Some become friends with Claude Monet. needed] In 2001, Gerald van der Kemp, who was renovating Monet's house and gardens, died. He is buried not far from the latter. The size of the town has hardly changed since the 18th century, and the number of inhabitants has remained almost the same. In 1793 there were 422 inhabitants, today there are a little over 500. Measured against its small size, Giverny is huge in the world today.

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