Saturday after 2 days of exhilarating tennis is usually our ‘Outing’ day and this time round I was keen to see this gorgeous Villa Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild which overlooks both the Bay of Villefranche and the Bay of Beaulieu. It is located 10 kilometres from Nice and Monaco.
We took a train from Menton to Beaulieu sur Mer and then walked along the bay to the Villa.
The setting is stunning, the Villa beautiful and the gardens are magical. We spent most of the day there - it took us 90 minutes to get around the house and remarkable collection in all the rooms.
This was a labour of love by one woman, determined to put her failed marriage behind her, and use her family money to create a rather unusual life for herself. She was obsessed with the 18th Century and was known to greet visitors dressed in the fashion of that era.
The villa itself has a pink façade in the style of an Italian Palazzo and there are touches such as a marble Venetian well, arches etc all reflecting the Renaissance. The internal patio is all arches too, with marble columns and leading to the Grand Salon which has magnificent views over the Baie de Fourmis. The whole Villa and suite of rooms has been beautifully designed to maximise the views from the windows. For example, Beatrice’s bedroom has views of the Bay as well as the French gardens with the musical fountains.
There are treasures galore in the rooms downstairs as well as upstairs. Aubusson carpets, tapestries (including the odd Gobelin), ceilings by Tiepolo, Meissen porcelain and chandeliers, silk gowns, and a Chinese room with Jade and Rose Quartz sculptures. Then there is Béatrice’s collections of French porcelain, considered to be one of the richest in France consisting of numerous Sevres collections.
One of the most intriguing rooms is the ‘Monkey’ room - so called because the panels all feature monkeys in the form of musicians – forming a full Orchestra. Then there is another orchestra, made beautifully in Meissen porcelain, but as a caricature.
After a tour we broke for lunch sitting outside with a view of the French gardens with its musical fountains. The weather was pleasant with only a very light shower late afternoon.
After a leisurely (and reasonably priced lunch) we went around the gardens which were magical. This for me was the highlight of the day – 7 small and sumptuously developed gardens. Even more remarkable for the fact that this was a rocky promontory which was dynamited and large quantities of earth brought in to level the garden and then protect it from the wind using glass panels. It is said that it was designed to resemble the prow of a boat as she had the sea on both sides.
However the gardens as they are today are the masterpiece of Louis Marchand, who after her death, decided to restore them in the form of thematic gardens – which cover the world.
We started with the Spanish garden: ochre walls, arcades and a reflecting pool. Pomegranate trees, bird of paradise, papyrus reeds amongst others provide an almost Moorish link.
This follows into the Italian garden (which Beatrice had started), with a staircase and a little grotto with a statue. There is a stunning wisteria here.
Then up some steps to the Stone garden, which has a lot of sculptures and architectural elements interspersed with fig trees. In the spring, azaleas, fuchias and hydrangeas bloom and we saw the remnants of those.
Then into the Japanese garden, which was the most contrived of the gardens as stonework, water pools and the necessary Japanese bridge.
A few paths and stairs brought us to the exotic garden (actually more Mexican than anything else). Now this was really surprising in the variety of giant cacti, agave plants, prickly pear trees and lots of other shrubs.
The Rose Garden was not flowering, so there was little to see, but it was laid out on a gentle slope towards the sea, and every June a Rose festival is held here. Pink roses dominate – it was Beatrice’s favourite colour.
Then onto the Provencal Garden with its wonderful scent – lavenders, irises, pale pink polygalas, There were blocks of blue thistle and it seemed very fitting for this garden.
Finally we turned the corner to the Temple of Love, and had our first view of the formal French gardens and fountains leading to the house. Beautifully symmetrical, and highlighted by a series of cascading steps of water down to the pools. Palm trees line the sides.
It really was the stunning view to end the tour.
We made our way back the same way to the town for a much needed cup of coffee before getting the train to Menton and a final dinner.
We’d certainly put some miles on the feet today, but it had been a beautiful visit and a wish fulfilled.