DESTINATION:
French Riviera
Set against a backdrop of deep-blue sea, luscious vineyards and charming rural villages, the wealth of fine art in Nice and on the Côte d’Azur is astonishing. Following a period as a playground for the English aristocracy in the 18th century, la belle Époque saw a flourishing of artistry in the area, perhaps best encapsulated by the spectacular Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild at Cap Ferrat. Since then, the Côte d’Azur has seen the rise of numerous important museums and collections, from the Fondation Maeght, which contains perhaps France’s most important collection of modern art, to the Musée de l’Annonciade, housed in a 16th century chapel and consisting of seminal works from masters such as Matisse, Bonnard and Signac.
Our tour will bring to life a region saturated with creativity and brimming with cultural heritage, highlighting the most important museums and showcasing prominent collections. Aside from the area’s artistic wealth, there will be plenty of time to enjoy the dramatic scenery and architectural gems, from the imposing Château Grimaldi to the picturesque seaside town of Villefranche.
Recommended duration – 5 nights/6 days
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- ORIENTATION TOUR OF THE OLD TOWN – (on foot), to include the pretty area around the Cours Saleya Flower Market and the 17th century Sainte-Réparate Cathedral with its lavish interior.
- ST PAUL-DE-VENCE – an old medieval town situated on a rocky outcrop. Today it boasts more than 60 art galleries and studios along the Rue Grande. Visits include the FONDATION MAEGHT, one of France’s foremost centres for modern art, housing an exceptional permanent collection of 20th century works by such artists as Braque, Chagall and Leger as well as works by Matisse and Bonnard; and CHAPELLE DU ROSAIRE, designed and decorated by Matisse.
- VILLA EPHRUSSI DE ROTHSCHILD – a spectacular belle époque villa with exotic gardens, created in 1912 to show off Beatrice de Rothschild’s wonderful collection of artefacts.
- MUSÉE DE L’ANNONCIADE (St Tropez) – housed in a graceful early 16th century chapel by the old port and containing seminal works by Matisse, Bonnard, Signac, Seurat, Vlaminck, Derain, Braque and Dufy. (St Tropez can also be accessed by boat from Sainte Maxime to add another element to the tour).
- CHÂTEAU GRIMALDI (Antibes) – this 12th century castle served as Picasso’s studio in 1946 and now houses the MUSÉE PICASSO, where the collection of some 200 art works include paintings, lithographs, drawings and interesting displays about his life.
- MUSÉE NATIONAL MARC CHAGALL – opened in 1971 to house the largest public collection of Chagall’s works, this airy purpose-built museum incorporates stained glass window mosaics and 12 large canvases illustrating Old Testament scenes.
- MUSÉE MATISSE – housing an important collection of bronzes and drawings.
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART (MAMAC) – first opened to the public in 1990. The building itself is a work of art and a feat of architectural design: beautiful marble towers are linked by glass footbridges, and there is a spectacular terrace which affords magnificent views over the city. Inside, the fine collection of over 1200 exhibits contains seminal European and American works from the 1960s until the present day, including key pieces by Andy Warhol, Ben Vautier and Roy Lichtenstein.
- VILLA SANTO SOSPIR (Cap Ferrat) – a charming and intimate villa which once belonged to the socialite, Francine Weisweiller, and has witnessed many wild parties and scandals over the decades! The artist, Jean Cocteau, was once a dinner party guest of Francine’s, and ended up staying for 13 years, during which time he added numerous experimental paintings, mosaic flooring and murals to the previously whitewashed walls. The villa is a testament to the artist’s work and was nicknamed by the artist as “The Tattooed House”.
- MUSÉE JEAN COCTEAU COLLECTION SÉVERIN WUNDERMAN – a splendid new two-storey gallery in Menton’s old town which first opened to the public in November 2011. Séverin Wunderman was a Belgian-American collector, born in 1938, who became fascinated with Jean Cocteau and amassed a huge collection of his works. The gallery has almost 1000 of Cocteau’s exhibits from all stages of his career, displayed alongside works by his contemporaries including Picasso, Miró and Modigliani.
- PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO – the second smallest independent state in the world and the most densely populated independent country. A walking tour of the old town will include the casino, cathedral and the Grimaldi Palace. The Prince’s PALACE OF MONACO is the official residence of the Prince of Monaco. Founded in 1191 as a Genoese fortress it has, since the end of the 13th century, been the stronghold and home of the Grimaldi family. They originally ruled as feudal lords but since the 17th century have ruled as sovereign princes. The Roman-Byzantine style CATHEDRAL is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monaco, where many of the Grimaldi family are buried, including the tombs of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. The world-famous CASINO is a feat of Belle-Époque architectural splendour with ornate gilded interiors, sumptuous furnishings and glittering chandeliers.
- EZE – a delightful hilltop medieval village which is home to the famous Fragonard Perfume Factory and Museum.