Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a village with a population of about 3500, is just a walk away from Vence. St. Paul still has a medieval structure, fortified within the 16th century. The ramparts are still extant, but the character of the village has changed greatly over the decades. Marc Chagall has lived here, as well as American author James Baldwin and many French actors (Simone Signoret, Yves Montand, Lino Ventura).
Saint-Paul-de-Vence is still a hotspot for celebrities and wikipedia told me, that "property prices (...) have been stable during the last recession (...) Purchase prices of medium size villa in a good location would cost between €2 and €5 million."

To buy a baguette here could be difficult, to buy a contemporary work of art will be easy, as art-galleries outnumber bakeries clearly (I just saw one bakery!). First came the artists - followed by the galleries. The official website of St. Paul lists more than 60 ateliers and galleries. I had the impression, that the number is higher.

Marguerite and Aimé Maeght owned a very important gallery for contemporary art in Cannes (1936) and another one in Paris (1946) came to St. Paul to meet their artists. In 1964 they founded a museum of modern art here. Situated in a pine forest the "Fondation Maeght" attracts more than 200.000 visitors per year.

www.maeght.com/