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What will become of the cote, nature and Cap Ferrat?

Sixty thousand visitors come every year from all over the world to admire the treasures housed in this domain.  And it is needless to say that the mains style of the villa is of the “Belle Epoque”. Pink and white it was in fact built to house the personal collection of the baronesse  and includes a variety of mainly 18th century furniture porcelain, carpets and paintings. Nevertheless she succeeded to give it the aspect of a half-Venetian, half-Moresque palace, surrounded by magnolias and bougainvilleas. The excess strikes you right away in the covered patio where you spot painted wooden panels, red columns with Ionic capitals, and a collection of Chinese shoes and clothes. From there you can visit the rooms and corridors, housing a unique and priceless collection of artefacts with or without guide. But there is a guided visit (not off season) of 45 minutes visit that will give you the opportunity to discover the outspread of the collections of the baroness. Notice that the first floor is only open for the public at noon and only to see with a guide.

lobby		interior decoration

You don’t have to be a big art expert to notice that every room and hall in the villa is fitted up in the style of different 18th century “époque”. Priceless treasures from the Far East, Greek mosaics, porcelains and wrought iron, precious furnishing and tapestries, are on display. Notice especially the superb Louis XV and Louis XVI furnishing (Rene Dubois and Riesener),  Beauvais and Aubusson tapestries,  a Far-East salon etc...Really a unique ensemble. On the first floor: paintings by Renoir, Sisley, Monet, Boucher, Fragonard, Saxe and Sevres china. 
Béatrice had a special admiration for Marie-Antoinette, from whom she owned a whist-table. It is said that she received her guests dressed in an attire that belonged to the beheaded queen who wore it in Versailles. A staff of 30 people had the mission to see that madame la baronesse had all she wanted at any time she expressed any desire.
The grand salon leads out on to a marble terrace  with views to each side of the cap and down to the gardens. 
A promenade through these gardens makes us feel easier than inside where (I felt that way), we could not escape the impression of a gigantic “nouveau riche” home. Should we laugh or cry? The superb ponds with water lilies in the spring and sweet smelling blue, pink and white snapdragons are enchanting. Everywhere you look you see roses, the favourite flower of Béatrice. Loiter in the magnificent domain that, if I may say so, assembles all gardens of the world in one and only garden: Perfect for gentle strolling, through a cactus grove, Japanese garden, Italian sunken garden  with grotto, even a temple of Diana, all, it must been said, looking a bit neglected. 

Villa Ephrussi gardens

Without any doubt, this residence has been the centre of stylish amusements and gatherings during its great days. A highly welcomed and loved visitor was king Gustav V of Sweden. Patrick Howarth, in his book “When the Riviera was ours”, tells this anecdote (I quote!!): when Gustav V was already eighty years old he still played tennis with beautiful girls: with young boys he played somewhere else”.

Bibliography:  

John Pemble, "the Mediterranean Passion, Victorians and Edwardians in the South", (Oxford University Press 1988), Mary Blume, "Cote d'Azur. Inventing the French Riviera" (Thames and Hudson, London 1982) Stephen Liegeard, "La Cote d'Azur (Ed.Serre, Nice 1988), Guide du Routard 1998-99, Patrick Howarth, “When the Riviera was ours” (Century, London 1977).

Cap Ferrat contents

Cap-Ferrat-Villa Ephrussi de Rothshild-Gossip and anecdotes