In the heart of Champagne, two and a half hours southeast
of Paris and an hour and and a half northeast of Dijon, nestled in rolling vineyards, forests and fields of eastern France,
is a small village (pop. 650), called Essoyes (pronounced ESS-wah). Within 50 kilometers from the
center of town are dozens of the world's finest champagne producers as well as some of the world's most celebrated cathedrals,
chateaux, villages, restaurants, and beautiful landscapes. Unknown to most travelers, the studio of one of the great Impressionist
painters, Auguste Renoir, located in Essoyes, is open to the public, and both he and his son, filmmaker Jean Renoir, are buried
in the local cemetery.
One cup old fashioned...One
cup avante garde, a heaping teaspoon of inspiration and a pinch of revolution are the main ingredients of The Essoyes School.
