Vendôme Circle Founder
Douglas Pierce is the founder of Vendôme Circle, a passionate guide to the cultural and historical richness of France. His work is shaped by rigorous research, aesthetic sensibility, and a deep love of narrative detail.
Originally from the United States, Douglas settled in Paris over a decade ago following extensive travels across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. His background spans philosophy, history, literature, art history, music, and classical languages—disciplines he has studied in depth through a lifetime of formal training and intellectual exploration. He holds multiple advanced degrees, including a Master’s degree in contemporary philosophy from the Sorbonne, where he pursued doctoral research on literary portraiture and identity in the work of Sartre.
Douglas’s education was grounded from an early age in the traditions of classical liberal arts: reading widely in philosophy, European history, and literature, and developing an approach defined by careful attention to primary sources, beauty, and historical nuance. This perspective now informs every aspect of Vendôme Circle—from his curatorial sensibility in selecting wines or neighbourhoods to the historical storytelling woven through each tour.
His home on the Left Bank—steps from the Luxembourg Gardens and the Sorbonne—anchors his immersion in the intellectual and artistic life of the city. Through Vendôme Circle, Douglas creates private cultural experiences for a discerning international clientele: journeys shaped by depth, discretion, and elegance. Whether leading guests through the Musée d’Orsay, the salons of the Marais, or the vineyards of Champagne, he brings a rare combination of academic insight, refined taste, and warm personal engagement.
Clients often remark not only on Douglas’s encyclopaedic knowledge, but on the richness of the conversations they share—making each experience both intellectually enriching and personally memorable.
