With a handful of people, quiet streets and undistorted charm Essoyes typifies the entire French Aube department. Embedded between the wide open vineyards of the Ource valley, the town tells the story of the man who made this place for ever famous: Auguste Renoir. Nearly a hundred years after his death the town still breathes at the rhythm of the living environment in which the famous impressionist lived. With his birthday in sight, the municipality managed to get hold of Renoir’s former house. A stroke of luck they say, about which they are very excited. I could already take a look -and I'm very happy about it- behind the scenes of the future  Maison   Renoir,  that will open its doors in 2017.