The French Riviera, a paradise… of museums
When we think of this lovely region, we have a tendency to think sun, mild climate, the Mediterranean… and we’re right!
But did you know that the French Riviera is the place with the most museums in France after the Paris region?
Although it’s not all that surprising, as the greatest artists, from Picasso to Matisse, Bonnard to Chagall, Fernand Léger to Cocteau all came to live and create along the Mediterranean seaside.
They loved this light – so sharp and pure – that beautifies everything it touches and offers so many possibilities to the painter.
If your idea of a dream holiday includes both the beach and beaux arts,you’ll find it all happening between Cannes and Villefranche sur Mer!
Picasso in Antibes, Matisse in Nice
Honour to whom honour is due: King Picasso made multiple visits to Antibes, Vallauris and Mougins. Two museums pay tribute to him, one located in Antibes: the Grimaldi-Picasso Museum admirably located on the ramparts overlooking the sea, and the other at the Chateau de Vallauris, where he practiced the ceramic arts with great fervor. Worshippers of the great Pablowill certainly get an eyeful.
As for his friend and neighbour, Henri Matisse lived successively in Vence and Nice, which he adored, and where he was ultimately buried. This master of colour and seeming simplicity has a magnificent museum on the heights of the impressive hill of Cimiez, a restored fortified town surrounded by greenery, near the ancient amphitheatre of Nice. This museum presents several of his most beautiful works and contributes to an understanding of his artistic development.
Fernand Léger in Biot, Cocteau in Menton
Fernand Léger, this artist of the cubist avant-garde who immortalised to perfection the first paid holidays in France in the 1940s, then the life of workers in the industrial era, has a superb museum in Biot, the inland city of glass. It’s a visit not to be missed, and so easy to combine with a trip to discover the city’s glassblowers.
If Cocteau has his own museum in Menton, facing the sea (with splendid architecture), he nonetheless lived a good many of his later years with his friend, Francine Weisweiller, in the Santo Sospir villa in Cap Ferrat. To thank his lovely hostess, he decorated the whole house with frescos. This villa may be visited during a stroll through Saint Jean.
Chagall in Nice
While Marc Chagall lived for a long time in Saint Paul de Vence, it is the city of Nice that has offered him one of its most beautiful museums at the foot of the hill of Cimiez. In particular, the exhibition permitting a reading of his Biblical Message offers a commentary of great emotional force. A veritable cyclone of joy and colour, it pays homage to Life.
Where to stay to discover all these museums? Around Nice, ideally.
To combine exceptional holidays, lazing about on the beach or by the pool with discovery of the French Riviera’s museums, your best strategy is to choose a central spot.
Rent a ravishing villa in the hills around Nice or an apartment located near the Promenade des Anglais?
On our site, you’ll find an embarrassment of riches to choose from.
You’ll be gobsmacked by the artistic and cultural heritage of the French Riviera, perhaps its least well-known, and yet most remarkable, asset.
Book now your holiday rental in Côte d’Azur