Villas on the French Riviera

A true paradise, the Côte d’Azur is widely renowned as one of Earth’s most luxurious destinations. For decades the world’s elite has descended on the French Riviera, drawing inspiration from its mesmerising Mediterranean views as much as they do from the royalty, diplomats, actors, artists and entrepreneurs that rub shoulders there. Here are five of the Riviera’s most striking villas and little about who owned them.

 

I and the kids are in the gardens of Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

 

 

 

Le Fleur Du Cap – Cap Ferrat

 

A magnificent piece of architecture in a vibrant shade of candy-pink, La Fleur Du Cap, or Villa Socoglio, was once owned by Charlie Chaplin, and later by film star David Niven up until his death in 1983. In its glamorous heyday, Cap Ferrat was a playground for Hollywood royalty to rub shoulders with bona fide Royals – one can almost hear the martini glasses clinking amongst well-heeled individuals as you admire its flora-filled courtyards and sweeping vistas.

 

Superbly restored and expanded over the years, the property is now much larger than its original size, and features a plethora of elegant lower terraces leading directly into the sea.

 

 

Villa Leopolda – Villefranche-sur-Mer

 

Another must-see along the Riviera is the villa Leopolda, which once belonged to King Leopold II and Prince Albert I. In the 1980s the property passed from the hands of Fiat and Ferrari’s CEO, into the hands of wealthy Lebanese-Monegasque banker. It is currently owned by a Russian Oligarch.

 

Described as the third-largest home in the world, the sprawling property has 19 deluxe bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, 12 swimming pools, a bowling alley, a movie theatre and an twenty-acre orchard of olive and fruit trees that require a team of 50 full-time gardeners just to care for it.

 

 

 

Villa Les Camélias – Cap d’ail

 

No longer a stately residential home, Villa Les Camélias is an impressive Belle Époque property that’s been turned into a museum. It gives the public the opportunity to explore the Cap d’Ail archives – from the time of its creation in 1908 and throughout the 20th Century when it became a municipality known for its stunning views as much as the famous people that frequented it. A large part of the exhibit is also dedicated to the Basque painter, Ramiro Arrue.

 

Just a quick jaunt from Monaco and mere spitting distance from the Cap d’Ail train station, Les Camélias’ mesmerising garden level is dedicated entirely to the history of a medieval French Riviera town, speckled with black and white photographs of its many prestigious hosts and inhabitants.

 

 

Villa Les Cedres – Cap Ferrat

 

 

The most expensive villa on the Côte d’Azur, Les Cèdres, is located overlooking the Riviera in the lively heart of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. This beautiful mansion was once a refuge of King Leopold II, though it’s now owned by the Marnier-Lapostols, an industrialist family known for creating Grand Marnier. It’s valued at over 1 billion Euros.

 

This luxury villa has ten bedrooms, a party hall, conservatory, stables, and an office building, as well as a 50-meter swimming pool and 14 acres of botanical gardens steeped in the area’s history. Some of the olive trees on display are over 300 years old.

 

 

Villa California – Cannes

 

Villa California, also known as Villa Fénelon, Villa Picasso, and now as Pavillon de Flore, was built in Cannes in 1920. In 1955 it was bought by Pablo Picasso with his girlfriend Jacqueline, and it was here that the Spanish artist created his masterpiece ‘The Bay of Cannes’. Picasso abandoned the three-storey villa in 1961 after new building works obstructed his previously uninterrupted sea views.

 

His granddaughter, Marina Picasso, inherited the house and finished restoration work in 1987. In 2015 she put the house up for sale, stating to the press that it came with less than fond memories of an “indifferent” grandfather.

 

 

 

Written by Thea Carley 

 

 

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