Site de l`OT de Beausoleil

BEAUSOLEIL
rranean
A magical place
The sumptuous venue that is the Riviera Palace stands 180m
above sea level and was linked to Monte Carlo casino by a
cable car in 1898. Views from the Palace stretch from the Italian
peaks to Pointe de Sainte Hospice. This magical place is home
to vast rooms, corridors and arcades adorned with art. Some
have stone columns topped by entablatures with a large stucco
fresco of grotesques and rocailles beneath a ribbed vault,
friezes and cornices above the doors; others have frescoes on
the ceilings and walls which open into a gallery of pillars, arches
and metal balusters.
Guided tours by Tourist Information.
Free tours
(approx. 75 minutes)
YOU MUST BOOK YOUR TOUR
BEAUSOLEIL TOURIST INFORMATION
32, bd de la République
06240 BEAUSOLEIL France
Tél. 00 33 (0)4 93 78 01 55 / 00 33 (0)4 93 78 78 14
Fax 00 33 (0)4 93 78 85 85
Email: [email protected]
The winter garden
What makes the Riviera Palace winter garden truly exceptional
is its size: over 900m² and 20m high beneath the dome. The
huge greenhouse ribbed by an iron framework is designed by
Gustave Eiffel who also created the glass domes at Monaco’s
Hermitage Hotel and the Nice Observatory (1881).
The co-owners renovated the greenhouse in 2003 with support
from the town and Alpes-Maritimes Council.
The restoration won the special “Historical Heritage” jury prize
in 2004 from the Association des Vieilles Maisons Françaises.
The Riviera Palace and its “extraordinary” garden are proof, if
proof were needed, that Art speaks to the heart whatever the
fashion or period.
Website: www.beausoleil-tourisme.com
OPENING HOURS OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION
FROM OCTOBER TO APRIL
Monday to Friday 9 am–12 pm and 2 pm–6 pm.
Saturday and Sunday 10 am–2 pm (according to events)
FROM MAY TO SEPTEMBER
Monday to Friday 9 am–12 pm and 2 pm–6 pm.
Saturday 10 am–2 pm.
Sunday 10 am–2 pm (according to events)
except july and august open every Sunday 10am-2pm.
© MAC2G - Tél. 04.93.99.11.40 - Ne pas jeter sur la voie publique
© Crédit photo : Service communication Ville de Beausoleil, office de tourisme de Beausoleil et service municipal des archives
A balcony on the Medite
The
Riviera Palace
Winter garden
The dawn of the Azur Palaces
The Côte d’Azur made its name from famous artists and authors
such as Mérimée, Maupassant, Flaubert, Leroux, Signac, Dufy and
Liegeard. From the latter half of the 19th century to the eve of
the First World War, the aristocracy and European elite spent their
winters on the Côte d’Azur. The Azur Palaces were built for this
wealthy and refined clientèle.
The Riviera Palace
« Monte-Carlo Supérieur »
Camille Blanc, President of Société des Bains de Mer and future
mayor of Beausoleil, founded the Société Immobilière de MonteCarlo Supérieur in 1898, the international luxury hotel and
sleeper train company behind the legendary Orient Express and
the “first international hotel chain from the Ardennes to Beijing”.
Construction on the super luxurious palace hotel began that year
using Georges Paul Chedanne’s plans in the Turbie area known as
Monte-Carlo Supérieur.
The French architect won the 1887 Grand Prix de Rome and was
behind the sumptuous and beautifully classic Palace Hôtel on the
Champs-Élysées and the extravagant Hôtel Mercedes at 9 rue de
Presbourg in Paris.
Belle Epoque architecture
The Riviera Palace has an elegant and understated south-facing
façade punctuated by several windows, bow windows, corbels
and balconies with pottery balustrades. Two square towers frame
the main body which culminates in a row of columns.
The colour of the blue shutters exudes the south of France
atmosphere underlined by arches to match the neoclassical
architecture.
The stucco-coated concrete building was completed in 1903. It
has been listed as a Monument Historique since December 14th 1989.
Holiday and society life
The Riviera Palace was a real luxury hotel which welcomed the
Russian, Austro-Hungarian and English elite. Not only was it
a meeting point and place to be seen, it was also a veritable
function room. In its heyday it hosted orchestras to perform at
sumptuous soirées on the ground floor which was traditionally
devoted to reception and society life: lobby, large staircase,
restaurant and lounges. Rooms and suites occupied the upper
floors. They were all south-facing with sea views where bow
windows, double windows and rows of columns enhanced
the sophisticated setting. Construction ended in 1903 in what
was then called Turbie and it soon became a highly attractive
holiday resort and society hotspot.
Here are a few artists and members of the royal family who
stayed at the Riviera Palace: Léopold II, King of Belgium, Russia’s
Imperial Family, the Persian Shahs, the great Russian dancers
and musicians Diaghilev, Nijinsky, Stravinsky, writer Colette and
Winston Churchill who was in the habit of inviting himself to
stay with residents…