Informations pratique

Access

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

06230 SAINT-JEAN CAP FERRAT

10 km from Nice
15 km from Monaco

Between Nice and Monaco via the Basse Corniche (N98) road.

Contact

Gestion : CulturEspaces

Property of l'Académie des Beaux-Arts de l'Institut de France.
 

Tel. : +33 4 93 01 33 09

Fax : +33 4 93 01 31 10

message@villa-ephrussi.com

Opening times

From 15^th February to 1^st November: From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.(7 p.m. in July and August)

From 2^nd November to 14^th February:
Weekdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Weekend and school holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Visiting options

Unaccompanied visit: A visitor Guide available in 4 languages (French, English, Italian, German) is given free to each visitor.

Guided visit of first-floor collections: At 11.30 a.m. - 2.30 p.m. - 3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m. (5.30 p.m. in July and August)

Tariffs 2008

Villa Ephrussi De Rothschild

Press Kit of the Villa & Gardens Ephrussi de Rothschild




Download the complete Press Kit by clicking here

• Press Kit - Villa & Gardens Ephrussi de Rotshchild

  
  

  >> Culturespaces, exceptional museums and monuments

  - First private company involved in the management of monuments and museums
  

  The Culturespaces Company, established in 1991 by Bruno Monnier, is unique in Europe. On behalf of public institutions or corporations (such as the Institute of France or the City of Nîmes), it assumes complete management of exceptional museums, sites and monuments.

  At each of these sites, Culturespaces is responsible for developing the areas, collections, gardens; welcoming the public; the management of staff and all services, including cultural events, exhibitions and communications. Culturespaces puts the visitor at the centre of their attention and tries to make their visit enjoyable, lively and rewarding.

  - Culturespaces, more than a visit, a real pleasure
  

  If you visit a monument or museum managed by Culturespaces, you are guaranteed to find:

  • magnificent architecture, collections or gardens,
  • fascinating history, with characters with amazing destinies,
  • events, films and audioguides at no extra charge,
  • open 7 days a week with a warm welcome,
  • special rates for families,
  • for children, a “treasure hunt” with a booklet – free game so they learn whilst having fun.

  And to extend your visit :

  • coffee shops and restaurants in unique settings,
  • gift shops offering a wide selection of quality gifts and souvenirs.
  - Culturespaces welcomes almost 2 million each year
  

  Thanks to our desire to help people find out about our heritage and to make culture accessible to a wider public, attendance at all sites is increasing each year, reaching almost 2 million visitors in 2007. This high level of attendance generates new resources, which are used to carry out restoration work on the sites, improve public facilities, organise new events, etc.

  
  
  

  >> Tour of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild by Culturespaces

  In its desire to make a visit to the museum unforgettable, Culturespaces has put together a range of services to make a tour of Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild enjoyable, adapted to the needs of everyone and suited to the different levels of visitor interest and understanding..

  - Tour :
  
      > Tour of the rooms and gardens:
  

  Visitors can look around the ground floor and the nine themed gardens at their leisure. A mini-guide, given to every visitor, recounts the history of the Villa and is produced in five languages (French, English, German, Russian and Italian).

  
      > The New Musical Fountains
  

  Since 2008, the French-style gardens have been given an added dimension with the New Musical Fountains, which shoot up from the great pond every 10 minutes. Set to music, the Peacock, the Waltz, the Tulips and other gyroscopic fountain displays provide visitors with an unforgettable spectacle and make these gardens extra magical. A truly wonderful display to enchant all visitors.

      > The film
  

  An exclusive 20-minute film presents the amazing history of the Villa and describes life on the French Riviera in the Belle Époque. It is shown continuously in the Salon des Putti.

      > Tour of the collections on the first floor
  

  If they want to, visitors can also follow a guided tour of the first floor of the Villa where Baroness Ephrussi’s collections are presented. The guided tour takes place every day at 11.30 a.m., 2.30 p.m., 3.30 p.m. & 4.30 p.m. with an additional tour at 5.30 p.m. in July and August.

  
  - Tour reference guide:
  

  The Villa offers visitors a free tour reference guide providing detailed information on the nine gardens and the rooms on the ground floor. It is available in a choice of five languages (French, English, German, Russian and Italian).
  
  The guide includes: a plan of the private apartments (the covered patio, Louis XVI Room, Louis XV Room, the Baroness’s Apartment, Dining Room and Sèvres Porcelain Room), with historical commentaries and various anecdotes about the collections. There is also a plan of the various gardens with descriptions.

  - The visit for children : the activity book
  

  A fun quiz has been devised to help children aged between 7 and 12 discover the Villa and gardens. A free booklet is provided at the entrance to the site and a mysterious riddle leads the children through the various rooms of the museum, in search of hidden clues, whilst finding out about the history of the monument.

  - Group offer :
  

  Villa Ephrussi provides offers for groups combining a visit with a tour of the Greek Villa Kérylos. You can also combine a tour of the Villa with a tasting of the Côte de Provence wines. Finally, meal offers enable the tour to be combined with lunch or a snack break in the enchanting setting of the tea room. The full range of group offers available from Culturespaces can be seen on the website, www.villaephrussi. com, under the heading “Groups”.

  - Gift and bookshop
  

  Situated at the entrance to the Villa, the shop offers a wide range of books, postcards and quality gifts relating to the Villa’s collections, the Côte d'Azur and Provence. A garden section displays a collection of books especially aimed at the green-fingered, and amateur gardeners will also find various gardening tools, clothing and accessories.

  - Tea-room and restaurant
  

  Situated at the very heart of the Villa, the restaurant terrace overlooks the Bay of Villefranche and gives visitors the chance to relax in a luxurious setting. Open every day in high season, from lunchtime until the Villa closes, it offers a range of salads and pastries.

  - Receptions :
  

  Located between Nice and Monaco, this historical palace, surrounded by gardens overlooking the sea, is a magical venue hosting the most beautiful receptions on the Côte-d'Azur.

      > The French Garden, which is graced by waterfalls and ornamental flower beds, is an ideal place for organising unforgettable summer receptions. By extending the reception into the Florentine and Spanish gardens, up to 350 guests can be accommodated.
  
      > The Grand Patio with its pink marble colonnade decorated with artworks recreates the atmosphere of the great Italian palaces. At any time of year, it can accommodate a dinner (up to 250 guests) or a cocktail party (up to 350 guests) in a luxurious setting.
  
      > The Oriental Dining Room, with its eleven picture windows, offers a panoramic view over the Bay of Villefranche. It opens on to a terrace giving direct access to the gardens. At any time of year, cocktail parties (seating up to 100 guests), lunches or dinners (seating up to 60) can be held here.
  
  
  

  >> Events & entertainment 2009

  (Go to specific page)
  
  
  

  >> a real Wonderland

  - An eccentric rose
  

  By virtue of birth and then her marriage, Madame Ephrussi would become one of the greatest collectors of her time. Daughter of Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, she grew up in Château de Ferrières and it was here that she was introduced to art in the form of James de Rothschild’s fabulous collection.

  In 1883, she married Maurice Ephrussi ("Frousse", as she affectionately called him) and became part of a family of bankers and wheat exporters originating from Odessa, who were themselves collectors and friends of the Rothschilds. One of her husband’s cousins was none other than Charles Ephrussi, patron of the impressionists.!

  In building the Villa, she combined the talents of a wide range of experts and businessmen, who were family friends. They must have provided her with excellent and effective advice judging from the rooms on display here. So began her exhilarating and discerning search across the globe and these searches bore fruit: the Baroness ordered works to be brought to Beaulieu by train and made her selection on the station platform. In fact, one day, she bought chapel ruins only to keep one fresco!

  In the course of her travels, as well as her passion for art, she indulged her love of nature. Verona, Florence, Venice (where the term palazzino comes from), to name but a few, everything fascinated her, from exotic gardens to deserts. So it was natural, in the same way as she surrounded herself with works of art, that she should make the Villa a reflection of her many interests.

  Somewhere between good taste and fantasy, the Baroness lived her life, being such a pretty, extravagant flower herself. Béatrice Ephrussi would greet suppliers, dressed completely in pink from her silk parasol down to the tip of her boots; even including her crocodile skin handbag. Pink, more pink, everywhere pink.

  A villa built in rose pink, every room had to be pink like the mythical rose itself. Madame Ephrussi worshipped this colour. After all, her villa in Monte Carlo was even called "Rose de France". Elisabeth de Gramont described her as follows: "She was beautiful and from the age of twenty, her hair turned white making her look as if she had been dusted with powder. She almost always wore pink gowns and seemed to be eternally on the verge of leaving for a lavish ball."

  And Béatrice did not stop there. She liked to invite her friends to receptions exhibiting a splendour in the vein of Marie-Antoinette and transforming her house into an exotic zoo, a haven for her favourite companions: budgerigars, monkeys, mongooses, pink flamingos … pink again...

  Although extravagant and excentric, the Baroness was nonetheless faithful. She did not spend much time at this palazzino, and never returned after the death of her husband in 1916, preferring her residences in Monte Carlo. She died in 1934 at the age of 70, bequeathing her property to the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

  - The Belle Époque of French Riviera :
  

  The French Riviera – a name evocative of luxury and wealth. A concentration of elegance occupying a few kilometres between sky and sea. This was an idyllic location for Béatrice’s imperious designs. Appreciated not only for its beauty but also for its proximity to Nice and Monte Carlo, during the Belle Epopque, Cap Ferrat attracted the international elite, who wintered on the Riviera. In 1905, Madame Ephrussi acquired seven hectares of land on the narrowest part of the isthmus. This was a purchase made right under the nose of King Léopold II of Belgium, who would have liked to have extended the land surrounding his neighbouring villa to include this Garden of Eden.

  - A departing cruise liner :
  

  The very landscape of her new-found Eden was enough to inspire the Baroness. She decided to design the main garden like the deck of a liner. In fact, whichever way you look, you see the sea. Béatrice could, therefore, imagine herself aboard the liner "Île de France", reliving happy memories of a cruise aboard this ship. It was decided: the Villa would be called "Île de France"! From the loggia, Admiral Béatrice could even survey her team of thirty gardeners, decked out in berets with red pompoms.

  
  

  >> Nine Fabulous Gardens

  The Villa is surrounded by nine magnificent gardens with patios, fountains, ponds, flower beds, shady paths and rare trees. These are the Florentine, Spanish, French, Exotic, Stone, Japanese, Provençal, Rose and Sèvres gardens.

  The gardens took seven years to complete, from 1905 to 1912. Just as for the design of the Villa, wellknown names were enlisted, such as Harold Peto and Achille Duchêne. A highly esteemed landscape gardener in Europe and the United States of America, he built his reputation on creating classically inspired gardens. With wonderful scents and varied species, the diversity of plantations delights visitors, who are amazed and enchanted by this magical garden. When you enter this Garden of Eden, you embark on a trip around the world. A transatlantic cruise.

  The French Garden stands above all the others, both in size and location. It runs directly in front of the Villa. From the building, the view is outstanding and magnificent, ending in the Temple of Love. This exact replica of the one at the Trianon overlooks the stepped waterfall. The sloping structure of the waterfall was especially designed to make the water look white, the famous Oriental "water shawl".

  From the garden, there is a unique view of the palazzino for art lovers. In summer, lotus and water lilies cover the large ponds. The lawns, decorated with classical clay pots and large vases from the Italian Renaissance, are perfectly laid out. On the East terrace, Catalan sculptures await, serene and placid, knowing they will not fail to impress visitors, who are filled with wonder at this flourishing and yet so structured display of nature.

  By descending the great steps, visitors arrive at the Spanish Garden. In summer, datura, arums and honeysuckle exude their heady perfumes, reminiscent of Aranjuez. At the bottom of these steps is a grotto, concealed behind pink marble columns. Another subtle touch in this enchanted place. At the centre of the grotto is the dolphin fountain. This sets off the pond lying at the foot of the pergola, adorned with Catalan amphorae and a Gallo-Roman bench. A timeless moment in the shade of the columns.

  Beyond the pond and pergola, overlooking the Bay of Villefranche, is the Florentine Garden and another change of scenery. At its centre, a wide horseshoe staircase frames a rocky grotto. Behind the philodendrons, water hyacinths and papyrus, a marble ephebe averts his gaze from the view before him.

  Following the Florentine path, lined with cypresses, visitors come to the Stone Garden. A strange, intriguing spectacle with a collection of works of art from various areas and periods. Amongst camphor and California laurel trees, there is a varied collection of works, which the Baroness was unable to accommodate inside the Villa: arches, fountains, capitals, bas-relief from the Medieval and Renaissance periods, monstrous gargoyles, grotesque figures in stone, Provençal and carnival gnomes.

  Fully restored in 2003, with funding from Nippon TV, the Japanese Garden, "Cho-Seki-Tei" – meaning “Garden where one peacefully listens to the pleasant sound of the waves at twilight” – immerses visitors in a “Zen-like world” where each element symbolises the spiritual microcosm. Designed and completed by Professor Shigeo Fukuhara, this Japanese garden contains the traditional wood pavilion, bridge, lanterns and bowls, illustrating more than one thousand years of Japanese tradition and ensuring an atmosphere of calm.

  Stepping stones cross a little stream to arrive in the Exotic Garden, a world of agaves and giant cacti. Whether alone or clustered in groups, they are starkly outlined against the blue sky. A very impressive sight!

  Finally, the crowning glory in this explosion of greenery: the Rose Garden. Béatrice’s favourite flower with all its thorns and petals. Many varieties fill this far end of the garden with fragrance. A secluded corner with its small hexagonal temple and, at the centre, its sole occupant is a gracious deity. A young girl who laughs at the seven columns surrounding her.

  Also not to be missed are the Provençal Garden located at the eastern edge and finally the Sèvres Garden where the tour ends in front of the tea room.
  Culturespaces had the know-how to be able to show this unique setting to its best advantage and has been restoring all these gardens to their original splendour since 1991. At the end of their tour, visitors will agree with the general opinion: these gardens are undoubtedly the most beautiful on the Côte d'Azur.

  
  

  >> A Collector's Place

  - Venetian extravagance
  

  Béatrice imperiously demanded excellence. Between 1905 and 1912, no less than ten architects came and went, having patiently listened to the Baroness’s grievances. It was not easy to give form to an eccentric’s dreams, especially when she knew exactly what she wanted. The customer is king, the architect passively carries out orders. In reality, the real architect was the Baroness herself!

  From the four corners of the world, they created a residence reminiscent of many places. Florence, Venice and Ravenna were their points of reference, not forgetting the patios of the great Spanish palaces.

  Construction work was finally completed in 1912, after many crises and incidents, one of which almost cost the Baroness her life; a strong gust of wind brought the scaffolding down on her whilst she was personally supervising the building site. The result is no less grandiose for all that. Now the Baroness was able to have all the splendour from the greatest periods in history under one roof. A temple of refinement.

  - The ambiance of a home :
  

  The rooms and private apartments of the Villa exhibit, in the atmosphere of a home, great works of art, which Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild had collected throughout her life, bearing witness to her taste for art and travel. There is an amazing contrast between the rooms used for receptions and presentations and Béatrice’s private apartments. Although still splendid and with the same sophistication, they nevertheless maintain a certain cosiness. Rooms where all traces of formality seem to have been banished.

  The covered patio
  

  The surprisingly large patio is a triumph of eclectism. Pink marble colonnades from Verona support immense arches, evoking the Italian villas of the Renaissance. The patio, where Béatrice hosted her elegant receptions, displays a number of medieval and Renaissance works of art. It contrasts sharply with the surrounding rooms, which are a testament to Béatrice’s passion for French 18th century masterpieces.

  Louis XVI room
  

  With its sumptuous furnishings, this is the villa’s most impressive room. The 18th century painted wood panelling originally came from the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. This room contains many pieces of royal or aristocratic origin: one of the carpets was ordered by Louis XIV for the Grand Gallery in the Louvre while the other, bearing the monogram of Louis XV, came from the royal chapel at Versailles. The ceiling is adorned by a canvas painted by the Venetian Tiepolo depicting the chariot of Venus drawn by doves. One of the room’s true gems is Marie Antoinette’s whist table, decorated with pearls, with its scrolled base.

  Louis XV room

  Nestled in two alcoves adorned with pearl grey wood panelling are tapestries from the Manufacture des Gobelins depicting scenes from Cervantes’ Don Quixote. The walls boast several superb paintings including “L’amour aux colombes” by François Boucher and “Diane sur les nuées” and “Le sommeil de Vénus” by his studio, and Frédéric Schall’s enchanting dancers.

  The Baroness’s apartments

  The Baroness’s private apartments are alive with her presence to this day. Each room is richly decorated with a refined choice of furnishings.

  The visitor first enters a boudoir adorned with neo-Pompeian wood panelling. The lady’s writing desk was crafted by Jean-Henri Riesener, official cabinetmaker to Marie Antoinette and one of the principal suppliers of royal furniture under Louis XVI. However, the rarest piece is a little octagonal table, undoubtedly the work of Adam Wiesweiler, whose animal scenes were created using real bird feathers and insect wings placed on a wax background.

  In addition to its fine antique furniture and Venetian painted ceiling, the Baroness’s bedroom contains a number of costumes dating from the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, together with a stunning collection of 19th century Chinese clothing and little shoes. The adjoining bathroom is a masterpiece of refinement: concealed behind the Leriche painted wood panelling (late 18th century) are a sink and storage compartments.

  
  
  

  >> Remarkable Collections

  Through the art dealers and experts she befriended, Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild sought out works of art across the world. She made the Villa at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat a collector’s home demonstrating her eclectic taste, where porcelain, paintings by old masters and pieces of furniture were harmoniously placed side by side.

  - Porcelain
  

  The Porcelain Room and the fabulous collection it contains are one of the wonders of the Villa. In the course of her travels, Baroness Ephrussi put together a collection of French porcelain, with many Sèvres and Vincennes pieces, demonstrating her unerring taste in the subject. Recently restored, the Porcelain Room contains precious vases, platters, saucers and plates originating from royal manufacturers.

  - The Rooms :
  

  The Fragonard Room contains 18th century furniture (a Saulnier writing desk, Milanese wooden furniture painted with a double eagle motif). There is no doubt that the painter from Grasse would have found this an appropriate setting for his etchings and drawings. Judging from how perfectly preserved the works are and the atmosphere in this room, Madame Ephrussi was a great admirer of this artist of genius. How could she resist this great man’s drawings (“Femme se mirant dans un cours d'eau”, “Danaé visitée par Jupiter”, or “S'il m'était aussi fidèle”...) ? Like the owner, visitors can be charmed by “la Jeune fille à la rose” by Boucher.

  The Tapestry Room displays, in addition to the Jacobean furniture upholstered in Beauvais tapestry (1768), a wide range of 18th century works of art: extremely rare Louis XV dressing tables, gilded bronze “Chinese-style” andirons, a small table inlaid with a chequered motif.

  The Room of Monkeys: evidence of the Baroness’s playfulness? A delightful reference to the 17th century? Perhaps, but most certainly a homage to these little animals the Baroness loved so much. This monkey motif sums up Madame Ephrussi’s cultural and intellectual aspirations: It shows her passion for the 17th century, as well as her propensity for originality. In the 17th century, fables and animals were very popular. Therefore, Jean-Baptiste Huet, painter of wainscoting, moved away from the fashionable chinoiserie, preferring these monkeys mimicking human failings. A lightheartedness that so befits the Baroness. This same sense of humour is evident in the Meissen porcelain: little costumed animals playing musical instruments that the visitor is unlikely to forget!

  Finally, the Far Eastern Art Room, very much in the style of a late 18th century chinoiserie study, has gold and lacquered doors (18th century) originating from the Imperial Palace in Peking and a display of Cantonese enamelwork.