Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, also called Villa Île-de-France, is one of the most beautiful Renaissance palaces on the Côte d’Azur built on a summit of the Cap Ferrat peninsula between 1905 and 1912 in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
The villa was designed by the French architect Aaron Messiah, and constructed between 1905 and 1912 by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild (1864–1934).
Béatrice Ephrussi discovered Cap Ferrat in 1905, at the time when the Azure Coast was a resort for high society. Seduced by the natural beauty of the site, she acquired seven hectares of rocky and barren land on the narrowest part of the peninsula.
“The museum gives a particularly vivid idea of what was the residence of a great art lover of the Belle Époque who showed a particular attraction for the 18th century” Corcuera (Vogue Décoration, 1985).
The villa is surrounded by nine gardens, each on a different theme: French, Spanish, Japanese, Florentine, Provençal, exotic, a stone garden, a rose garden, and a garden de Sèvres. They were created between 1905 and 1912 under the direction of landscape architect Achille Duchêne.
On April 2s, 1938 the museum opened to the public after work to restore the villa and its garden, but had to close quickly at the start of World War II.
In the 1990s, its management was entrusted to the private company Culturespaces. The annual number of visitors reaches 130,000, making it one of the most visited sites between Nice and Monaco.
Coordinates: 43° 41′ 48″ N, 7° 19′ 43″ E
Working hours:
The Villa is open 365 day a year from 10 a.m to 6 p.m, except:
July and August: from 10 a.m to 7 p.m
From November to January: from Monday to Friday from 2 p.m to 6 p.m. / weekends and holidays from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
The cultural gift shop is open during the Villa’s opening times.
The tea room is open only on weekends from November to January.
The access to the restaurant is not independent of the visit of the villa. You must buy your ticket from our hostesses.
Tarifs
Full rate: €15
Senior rate: €14 € (+65 years old)
Reduced rate: €12 (students, Education Pass holders and unemployed)
Youth rate: €10 (7-25 years old)
Family rate: €44 (for 2 adults and 2 children aged 7-25 years old)
How to get to?
By road: access by the lower cliff road (RD6098). A free car-park is available on the site.
By bus: line 15, “Passable – Rothschild” stop or ligne 100, “Point Saint Jean” stop and about 15 minutes walk to the Villa.
By train: Beaulieu-sur-Mer station
