Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is one of the jewels of the Riviera and it lived up to its reputation during our visit yesterday.  It was built in the Renaissance style at the beginning of the 20th century by Baroness Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild.  At the age of 19 she married the then 35-year-old Maurice Ephrussi, brother of the collector of the netsuke figures made famous in the memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes.  The marriage was not a successful one as Maurice was addicted to gambling and when the couple separated in the early years of the 20th century, Beatrice built this stunning palace at Cap Ferrat on the Riviera and surrounded it with amazing gardens and fountains.


















The fountains "play" every 20 minutes accompanied by classical music.  It is wonderful to see a fountain dance to Tchaikovsky or keep time with Mozart.  There's not so much as a lily pad out of place.  And the same holds true in all the other gardens, each with a theme, that surround the central fountains.  The Stone Garden turned out to be full, not of rocks, but of bits of ancient masonry (upper right).  The Japanese Garden was elegant and simple.  The plantings everywhere were absolutely gorgeous.  This is definitely the perfect month to appreciate the many perfections of this magnificent piece of property.  I just couldn't take enough pictures.

The interiors were beautifully crafted.  Not much furniture left, but collections of gorgeous porcelain and many wonderful fabrics, especially from China.  There was an elegance about the place that was never overdone, never in poor taste.  I wish I could have met the Baroness.  She must have been something!  She certainly made an astonishing gift to France when she donated the entire estate to the Institute de France before her death in the 1930s.


Although it was late in the day (one can easily spend an entire day there), Laura and I said a reluctant good-bye and drove on the Eze, a medieval hill village, also a must-see on many lists.  I found it a disappointment.  A tourist trap as almost all are these days with winding streets full of souvenir shops and a ruined castle on top.  It has been creatively turned into a garden for succulent plants and a few very nice modern sculptures, but after the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, it seemed meagre indeed.  The real prize were the stunning views over Cap Ferrat and the Mediterranean.

Cap Ferrat