Wender·Vista
Montpellier
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileFrance
in the south of France, ten kilometres from the Mediterranean

Montpellier

— — a southern city that walks at its own pace.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Montpellier sits in the south of France, about ten kilometres from the Mediterranean. The old centre, the Écusson, is a tangle of narrow stone streets and small squares that empties into the Place de la Comédie. The city has one of the oldest medical schools in Europe and a young, walking population that keeps the cafés open late into the evening.

from the studio
Montpellier
— bring it home

Montpellier, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Montpellier

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Montpellier is the capital of the Hérault département in the Occitanie region of southern France, about 10 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean coast. The city sits on the river Lez and has a population of around 300,000, making it the seventh largest in France. It was founded in 985 AD, comparatively late among French cities, and grew quickly on trade between Italy, Spain, and the Levant. The medieval core, called the Écusson for its shield-like outline, is largely pedestrian and bounded by the line of the old ramparts.

— the light

Montpellier sits at the latitude of the northern Mediterranean coast, and the light reads that way: long afternoons, a sun that takes its time setting over the Pic Saint-Loup to the north. From May through September the city averages more than nine hours of sun a day, and the limestone of the older buildings holds the warmth into the evening. The Place de la Comédie, paved in white marble, is the place to watch the light go pink against the Opéra Comédie.

— the visit

The walkable centre rewards a slow day. Begin at the Place de la Comédie, walk north into the Écusson, find the Place Saint-Roch and the small streets around the cathedral of Saint-Pierre, whose twin pillars hold up a Gothic porch. The Faculty of Medicine, founded in 1289 and the oldest in continuous operation in the western world, sits a short walk further. End at the Promenade du Peyrou, a high terrace finished in 1690 that frames a view south toward the Mediterranean on a clear afternoon.

— where
France · Hérault, Occitanie
— position
43.6109° N · 3.8772° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
0.4 km S
Place de la Comédie
central marble square
0.8 km W
Promenade du Peyrou
17th-century terrace
0.5 km N
Saint-Pierre Cathedral
Gothic cathedral
1 km E
Antigone district
Ricardo Bofill neoclassical quarter
N
Montpellier
Place de la Comédie
Promenade du Peyrou
Saint-Pierre Cathedral
Antigone district
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Montpellier — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Montpellier is known for its medieval centre, the Écusson; its Faculty of Medicine founded in 1289, the oldest in continuous operation in the western world; and its position about 10 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean.

Montpellier was founded in 985 AD, comparatively late among French cities. It grew quickly through medieval trade between Italy, Spain, and the Levant, and became a centre for medicine and law in the High Middle Ages.

Montpellier sits about 10 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, on the river Lez. The nearest beaches, at Palavas-les-Flots and Carnon, are reached in twenty minutes by tram and shuttle bus from the city centre.

The Écusson is the medieval core of Montpellier, named for its shield-like outline. It is largely pedestrian, bounded by the line of the old ramparts, and gathered around the Place de la Comédie, Saint-Pierre Cathedral, and the Faculty of Medicine.

Montpellier has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm, dry summers. From May through September the city averages more than nine hours of sun a day. Autumn often brings short, heavy rains called épisodes cévenols.

The city has a population of around 300,000, making it the seventh largest in France. The wider metropolitan area is closer to 500,000. It has been one of the fastest-growing French cities for several decades, helped by its university.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers who studied at the University of Montpellier or spent time along the Languedoc coast. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries the warmth of the south well.

The warm stone and Mediterranean blue palette sits well in French Country, Provincial-Modern, and Sun-Washed Coastal rooms. It also reads cleanly against off-white plaster, terracotta tile, or a limewashed wall in a transitional space.

Southern European interiors have stayed steadily popular over the past three years, particularly the muted limestone-and-ochre palette of the Languedoc. The tile's warm tones and stone-and-sky composition fit that family without leaning kitschy.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a four-tile Mural anchors the wall without crowding. For a long console, a nine-tile Mural reads at full scale; a Medium suits a narrower entry table.

Yes. Order in the Dura Satin or Matte finish for kitchens, bathrooms, showers, and backsplashes. Both are scratch-resistant and hold up to moisture and steam. The Glossy finish is for framed wall display only.

A soft microfibre cloth with water is enough for routine dust. For kitchen or bath installations, a mild dish soap and a soft sponge handle grease and hard-water spots. Avoid abrasive pads and bleach-based cleaners.

Yes. Every piece in the WenderVista atlas is made by Wender Studios in Knoxville, Tennessee. The art is original, the colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and the work is hand-finished in-house.

— if this one stayed with you

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